Rattle the Chains
by Usami
Summary: Even the strongest bonds can suffer cracks. But under such immense pressure, can Antauri repair the damaged relationships? Or will he forever lose the ones that matter most to him?
1. Chapter 1

And here I am again, writing another story for _Super Robot Monkey Team._ I can't help it, really. The monkeys are just really cute. Okay, I'll stop now.

Anyway, as you've noticed this is my first chapter story for this category (at least the first that I've posted). This is one of two really interesting ideas that I had after watching "I, Chiro", "The Savage Lands", and "A Ghost in the Machinder". I can only really do the first idea that I had, because the second idea just couldn't fit into what I'm planning to do. However, if everything goes well with this story, perhaps I'll be able to do the sequel to this and incorporate my second idea. But we will have to see.

Also, please note, it's rather difficult for me to write a scene where the entire team is together (it's _really _hard, actually), and therefore, I think I didn't do so well in those scenes. But whatever.

I don't own _Super Robot Monkey Team, _but I hope I do all right with this story anyway.

**Rattle the Chains**

_Is…there someone…anyone…that can hear me?_

_Please…please…help me…please…!_

_It's so dark…and lonely…I feel so cold._

_I'm trapped…wherever I am…_

_I don't…I don't want to be here._

_Please…help me…And hurry._

_Please…_

Chiro gasped as his eyes suddenly snapped open.

* * *

All heads turned as the whir of the transport tubes sounded, and the monkey watched as their young leader stepped out and towards them, trying to stifle back a yawn. 

"Well, look who finally decided to get up today," Sprx said with a small grin.

"Hey guys," Chiro replied, once again trying to stifle back another yawn. "What's up?"

"Well, other than you sleeping in late once again," Gibson replied, glancing at the teen briefly before looking back at the giant screen before them, "we're continuing our steady course back to Shuggazoom."

"At this rate, we should be home in a couple of days!" Otto exclaimed happily.

"I can't wait!" Nova said excitedly. "It'll be nice to finally get back."

Antauri stood silently, watching Chiro intently as the teen simply stared at the screen in front of them. "Is everything all right?" he finally asked softly.

Blinking out of his trance, the boy turned to look at his second-in-command. "Yeah, everything's fine," he answered. "Why?"

"I've sensed that there is something troubling you. And it has not been only today. For the past few nights, something has been constantly waking you from your sleep."

The boy frowned a little as he looked at the other. He had done his best to act as normal as he could these past few days despite his lack of sleep. But of course the other knew something was going on. He always knew. Unfortunately, Chiro wasn't sure exactly how to explain what was bothering him. The dreams that plagued him while he slept were always the same, and he never _saw_ anything. Every night when he went to bed, all that passed over his eyes was darkness.

It was the _words_ that he heard in his mind that he always remembered. The voice that softly called to him, pleading for his help…The voice that echoed against the dark walls of his visionless dream, bringing with it the pain and fear of being trapped and alone in a world of darkness. The voice that constantly repeated those same troubled words over and over, rattled the depths of his soul every night, and then left him shivering within that same lonely pain when he awoke in the morning while the words rang in his ears for a few minutes until he finally got out of bed.

The voice…that sounded like it needed him.

But trying to put it into words to tell the other was something he couldn't do at the moment. It was still all so confusing to him, and he just wanted to try and understand what it all meant first. So instead, Chiro simply put on a small grin. "It's nothing, Antauri."

"Are you sure, Chiro?"

Before he could answer again, the teen was distracted by something on the screen. Turning away from the silver monkey, he found himself looking at a deep emerald sphere, twinkling brightly amongst the black space and slowly growing as they continued to approach it.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the object on screen.

Turning to look as well, the Monkey Team blinked as their eyes came upon what they were being shown. Walking up to the consol, the chief of science typed a few commands. "Hmm…curious," he said. "It appears the planet we're approaching houses mostly vegetation…several different kinds, in fact, as well as certain types of primitive life like insects, birds, and fish…"

_Can…anyone hear me?_

Chiro's eyes widened slightly.

_Please…please…help me…_

'That voice…' he thought. 'It…can't be…'

_Please_…

'The voice…from my dream…?'

_It's so dark…and lonely…_

The boy placed a hand to his ear. 'It…it's so much closer than before…'

_I feel so cold._

"Hey Chiro?" Nova said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

He glanced at the golden monkey before looking back at the growing planet. "Nothing," he replied softly.

_I don't…I don't want to be here._

"Hey Otto? Do you think you can take us down there?"

They all turned to look at the boy. "Down there?" the green monkey asked, pointing to the planet.

"Yeah."

"What for?"

"I…I-I can't really explain it. It's like…I feel like there's someone…calling me…"

"Calling you?" Antauri asked.

"Yeah. It's really weird. This voice keeps asking me for help, in my dreams. But this is the first time I've heard it while I'm awake. I think it's coming from that planet."

"That's quite impossible," Gibson stated. "The readings show that there is no life possible of such a communication inhabiting that planet."

Chiro frowned deeply, continuing to stare at the approaching world.

_Please…help me…_

"There's someone down there asking for help," he insisted softly.

"Are ya sure kid?" Sprx asked.

_And hurry_…

"Yeah." The leader turned to the others. "We could at least check it out, right?"

The simians looked at each other. "It couldn't really hurt," Nova offered.

The second-in-command turned to the teen. "You are quite certain that the one asking for your help is on that planet?"

_Please_…

"Yeah. The voice that's calling me is _definitely_ coming from there, I can feel it."

"Okay," Otto replied. "We better prepare for landing."

_Can anyone hear me?_

'Yeah,' Chiro thought. 'I hear ya. I just hope you're really there, because we're coming to find ya.'

_Then…please hurry. I don't want to be here anymore._

* * *

As the Hyperforce stepped outside on the Robot's foot, their eyes all widened as they gazed at their surroundings of the strange world they had landed on. 

The large hill that they had settled on was covered in rich emerald grass, the long strands swaying as a gentle wind blew overhead. The leaves extended down the hill into a nearby field, sharing the area with a colorful variety of different flowers that mingled and danced with each other under the warmth of the sun, their combined aroma lazily drifting into the air for them all to draw in. The field stretched on in the distance and was only stopped by the large crystal river that sparkled under the sun as the water flowed to its unknown destination. Across the stream was the rest of the flower-filled meadow before it faded into a dense domain of trees.

"Whoa…" Chiro breathed softly.

"This…" Nova whispered, trying to find the right words, "this is…"

"Incredible," Gibson finished.

"Yeah…" Sprx agreed. Then clearing his throat, he quickly added, "I mean, it's okay if you're into this kinda stuff."

"I've never seen any place like it," Otto marveled, his ebony orbs looking around excitedly.

Antauri looked on silently, gazing over the tranquil beauty that surrounded them under the cloudless sapphire sky. But even as he watched the wind sweep through the flora and stir the sun's reflection on the water, as he heard the stillness and felt the soothing calm, there was something that seemed to flow underneath it all. He was afraid that even a place such as this had its share of painful memories. He sensed that even this planet had deep scars that may or may not have healed yet.

He didn't have time to mention any of this to the others, however. At that moment, the green monkey jumped off the Robot's foot and landed in the middle of the hill, laughing loudly as he rolled all the way down to the bottom.

"Otto!" Nova called as she and the others jumped off as well. They, though, landed on their feet and half-ran, half-slid down the hill instead.

At the bottom, the mechanic stood up and looked at the grass that stood at half his height. "It's so soft!" he said, his hands running through the blades. "And tall…" Looking up, he noticed some movement by the side of the hill where the Robot stood. Leaning to his side, he tried to peek to the other side of the grassy mound and saw a prairie-type area. The grass on the other side was shorter than that which he stood in, and the range was absent of the sweet flowers that tickled his senses, but feeding in that part of land was a large flock of small ivory birds.

"Otto, what are you looking at?" Gibson asked as they reached his side.

Not answering, the green monkey grinned a little as he continued to watch the flock. His tail twitched slightly, and before he could stop himself (not that he really wanted to), he sped off on all fours, heading straight for the birds.

As he approached, however, the birds already seemed to know what he was up to. Before he was even close to one, the entire flock took to the air in complete unison. But when they did so, the light of the sun caught their wings, and as they turned to fly away, rainbow reflections bounced off their feathers and scattered colorful lights everywhere.

"Wow!" Chiro said, watching as the birds flew overhead.

And they watched as the flock flew, disappearing behind the tall trees of the forest across the river. But looking down, Gibson blinked and slowly picked up a stray feather that had fallen from the birds and landed in the grass. Examining it, he tilted it experimentally so that light would shine on it at an angle, producing the many array of colors.

"Fascinating!" the chief of science exclaimed. "The feathers of those creatures act just as an optic prism, bending white light to display the entire spectrum of colors!"

"This place is amazing!" the golden monkey said, looking up at the sky.

"I like it here!" Otto agreed, rejoining the others.

"Yeah, but there doesn't seem to be anyone living here," Sprx commented. "Isn't that why we landed here to begin with?"

The teen shook his head slightly. "There has to be someone here," he said softly. "I really…feel that there is."

Frowning slightly, the silver monkey closed his eyes to concentrate. "I do not sense anyone living here," he said. "However…"

"However?" Gibson repeated as they all watched him.

The second-in-command was silent for a moment. When his eyes opened again, he continued, "However, I sense a strange force hidden away somewhere."

"A strange force?" the hot shot pilot asked. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself, and the location is hard to determine as well. I do feel that it is close by, though."

"Do you think we should try to find it?" Otto asked.

"Maybe if we find whatever it is, we can find whoever Chiro is looking for," Nova said.

"Hmm…an interesting idea," Gibson said thoughtfully. "If we track down this strange source of power and we _do _find anyone, perhaps we'll be able to ascertain how and why they were hidden."

"Yeah, but how do we find them if we don't even know where to begin?" Sprx asked.

"We will simply have to look anywhere we can," Antauri answered.

Chiro nodded as he looked at the silver monkey. "Right. We'll cover more ground if we split up. But if anyone finds anything, be sure to call for the others. We'll meet back here in two hours."

The robotic simians all nodded.

"Okay. Let's go Monkey Team!"

* * *

Chiro sighed deeply as he slowly made his way through the thick forest, gazing up as some rays of light broke through the dense collection of leaves blocking the ground from seeing the sky. Even this woodsy area felt so calm and peaceful, just like the meadow where they had landed. The cool air that floated around him, the sturdy trees that promised to protect the nests of the many birds that sought their refuge, the crisp sound of the leaves that crunched under his feet. Everything just seemed so natural, like everything was just the way it was supposed to be. Even the shadows, broken in various places by patches of sunlight, seemed to be where they belonged. 

Maybe it was just all the time he had spent trying to hunt down and defeat evil from destroying his home and the universe in general. But he just felt so relaxed in this place, even if he hadn't been there for very long. A place with no evil, no responsibilities or duties…if only there were some people around, it would be a perfect place.

But even without anyone nearby, it was a nice planet. It definitely seemed like a good place for a short rest after everything they had gone through. Then they'd be all refreshed and ready to protect Shuggazoom and its citizens from the forces of whatever could threaten it.

Yes, that was definitely something the teen was looking forward to going back to.

"Guess I better enjoy myself here while I can," he muttered to himself. "I wonder how long we can stay before we have to leave…I guess…it depends on whether we find anyone or not…"

It felt rather strange to him. Ever since they landed on this planet, the voice in his head had stopped trying to contact him. Yet the farther he walked in his current direction, the more he was sure that there was someone around that needed his help. He knew he was getting close. It was _what_ he was getting close to that he didn't know.

And he had been walking for a long time. It was almost time to head back and check with the others. Had he really been walking that long?

But he was _so close_…He knew he was. Still, he had to walk quite a distance in order to get back, and two hours had almost passed already. He was going to be late getting back to the others.

Although…it wasn't like they were going to go anywhere without him, right?

The teen continued his mental debate as he continued his trek through the woods, trying to decide whether to start returning to the Super Robot or keep following his sense that he was so close to…something. But just as he finally came to the decision to go back to the Robot, the boy looked up and noticed a clearing ahead of him. The trees of the dense forest just stopped short of another grassy field that seemed to extend up the side of a mountain. Yet as Chiro looked on through the light shadows, passed the trees and through the sun, he saw that the green of the grass on the mountain's face was a large black disturbance.

"That kind of looks like…a hole," he muttered to himself. Blinking a little, he slowly jogged towards it, out from under the protective cover of the trees and into the grassy field that rested at the mount's base. Then he stopped to stand in front of the opening which he could see now was a cave.

And as he looked in the dark opening, the feeling that had been nagging him for so long grew within him, touching every piece of his mind. Whatever he had been looking for was in this cave.

He began to reach for his communicator. If this _was _where that 'strange force' was coming from, then he needed to let the others know where he was.

_Please…help me_…

Chiro's eyes widened. 'The voice again!' he thought.

_Hurry…please. I don't want to be here anymore._

His hand thathovered over his communicator froze, trembling as he listened to the voice calling him. If he called the Monkey Team, they might make him wait before entering the cave. But the voice…it sounded so desperate and sad. Could he afford to waste that time?

Gritting his teeth, he let his hand drop to his side before inhaling deeply and slowly heading in the cavern.

"Hello?" he called as he carefully stepped into the dark dwellings. "Is anyone here?" A shiver ran through his spine. It felt so much different being inside the cave than outside among the plant life. Even though it was just as silent as it had been before, the quiet had a much heavier feel to it than the peacefulness outside, almost as if it was ready to fall and suffocate him like the rocky ceiling above. There was no calming sense here, only a cold emptiness. The shadows within the cave held none of the comforting warmth that the forest had, and every step he took carried him farther and farther away from the sunlit opening.

But the further he walked into the cave, the stronger the feeling called out to him, telling him that he was getting that much closer to finding whatever he was searching for.

The thick darkness poured everywhere around him, and Chiro blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the lack of light. Feeling around carefully, he placed his hand against the rough surface of the wall to guide him to wherever he needed to go.

"Hello?" he called again. "Anybody? Is anyone around?"

_Please…hurry…_

Chiro frowned slightly when he heard the voice. 'Where are you?' he asked the one in his mind.

_You're almost there. Just please hurry_.

'What is going on here? Why are you calling me? What do you want, and why are you in such a hurry?'

…_You will get your answers soon. Just please…_

The teen sighed. 'Yeah, I know, you want me to hurry.' He gasped softly as he nearly stumbled on an unseen stone. 'I don't even know who or what I'm looking for…!'

_You will know when you finally come across it._

And quite suddenly, the presence was gone. Chiro froze in his tracks. The voice, no matter how many times he called, no longer answered, and the presence he once felt guiding him through the cavern was no longer there. Whatever – whoever – it was, he could no longer feel it within.

But that wasn't the reason he had stopped. The real reason for his sudden halt was because he could see that he was no longer in the narrow cave tunnel, but instead he was standing in a large black chamber that seemed to take up the entire interior of the mountain. Before him were wide grey stone steps that led up to an even larger stone altar.

He saw all this because, resting on the top of the altar was a small round object that was emitting a dull violet light.

"Was…this what I was supposed to find?" he wondered softly. But he received no answer.

Chiro hesitated, swallowing thickly before slowly making his way up the stairs. Part of him said to call the team and wait for them before doing anything rash, to consult with them about the situation. But he kept recalling the desperate tone in the voice that had urged him to hurry. The voice that pleaded for help…_his_ help. He had no time to wait.

But just what was he supposed to do? That thought finally crossed his mind as he reached the top of the steps and slowly approached the altar. How was he supposed to help?

He finally stopped and stood in front of the stone table, staring at the strange orb that continued to pulse the perse glow. With every beat of the flashing light, he could hear the voice between his ears begging for his help.

"But what am I supposed to _do_?" he asked the orb. "How am I supposed to help? What do you want from me?"

An image suddenly passed through his mind. For a brief moment, he saw the day he had first discovered the Super Robot and ventured inside. When he had first pulled that lever that activated the Robot, awakened the monkeys, and filled him with the Power Primate.

He frowned when the memory faded. Then, hesitantly, he raised his hand up, slowly reaching for the sphere. He assumed that it was what the memory was supposed to mean, that he was supposed to touch this thing. And while the feeling in the back of his mind said no, he carefully grasped the orb under the palm of his hand.

The violet light from the orb flared brightly, and Chiro winced at the sudden brightness. Then he watched as the light spread up his arm and engulfed his whole body. For a fleeting moment, he remembered that day again when he was consumed by the Power Primate.

But wasn't light supposed to be warm? Then why did he feel so cold?

He gasped when the light around his body suddenly seemed to turn into flames. But the burn he felt wasn't from the heat of a normal fire. The purple flames seemed to freeze his entire soul with something…something that tore at everything within him.

The mountain cave resonated with Chiro's screams.

_TBC_

So there's chapter one for you. No, I didn't kill Chiro (but as the story continues, perhaps people will think it'd be better if I did). Anyway, I hope it was okay to you guys. Let me know in a review, and please don't flame if you can help it. Anyway, later then.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all who reviewed for the first chapter! I'm happy that you guys took the time to read and review. It really means a lot. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"So, you guys didn't find anything?" Nova asked as she stood before Sprx and Gibson. 

"Nope," the red monkey replied. "Nothing except more flowers…And this bug, but I'm not gonna get into that…"

"I was unfortunate to find nothing of particular interest either," the chief of science added, cutting the other off. "What about you, Nova?"

The golden monkey shook her head slightly. "I couldn't find anything either. Do you think the others found anything?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," Gibson said, looking towards the Super Robot. "They should be returning soon."

"They're all kinda late, aren't they?" Sprx said. "I guess I kinda expected that from Otto, and maybe the kid, but I thought Antauri would be the first back here."

"I'm sure they're all on their way over," Nova said. "Maybe we just got here earlier."

"Well, it's been exactly two hours as of now," the blue monkey said. "They should all be returning any second now."

As if on cue, a blurry rush of green passed between Nova and Sprx, tackling Gibson hard. Unprepared for the sudden force, the blue monkey hit the ground, though his fall was cushioned well by the rows of grass and flowers underneath him. With the wind knocked out of him, he glared up at the grinning face of the mechanic that sat on top of him.

"Otto, just what do you think you're doing?" he asked irritably.

"Playing…" the other answered innocently. Then he added excitedly as he jumped off of Gibson, "You're it!"

"Otto, this is no time for games!"

Sprx blinked, watching as the green monkey landed on all fours and walked away from them. "Why are you walking like that?" he asked.

Otto paused, turning towards them. "I dunno. I just kinda feel like it…Maybe it's something about this place…or something…Besides, it's kinda fun!" With another grin, he began running off.

"Otto!" Gibson called. But he sighed when the other didn't stop or answer him. "I suppose we can assume that he hasn't found anything either."

"Yeah…but maybe he lost his _mind_," the hot shot pilot retorted.

Nova said nothing and simply watched the mechanic as he ran on all fours after a butterfly trying to feed on a flower. Somehow, she thought she understood what may have been going through his mind.

She was distracted from the other, however, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. Looking away from him, she turned to watch as Gibson lightly tapped Sprx on the shoulder. The red monkey blinked and looked at the other.

The chief of science simply smirked a little. Then in a low tone, he said, "I believe _you're _it now, Sprx." With a small laugh, he ran off in the direction Otto had gone in.

Sprx stood there for a moment, his mouth agape. But just when Nova was about to say something to him, the hot shot ran after the two, waving his fists in the air. "What the heck was _that_, Gibson!" he yelled as he headed for them. "I thought you said there was no time for games, you cheater…!"

The golden monkey sighed softly as she watched the three guys run off on all fours, chasing each other in the field they were waiting in. "We're supposed to be waiting for some news, not running and playing in the grass…" she muttered to herself. However, she knew that she couldn't really blame them. Just standing there in the soft grass, feeling the sun gently warming her body, inhaling the wonderful smell of the flowers…all of it just wanted to make _her _get on all fours and run around like there was nothing to worry about.

Just as Otto had said, there was really something about the place they had landed in that really affected her. Perhaps she couldn't speak for the others, but she knew that in her mind, she could feel something stirring deep within that was almost unfamiliar to her. Even though they were actual monkeys, they had always had a certain grasp over their primitive minds so that they acted just as civil and as smart as any person. But just being in this place, seeing, smelling, hearing…and _feeling_ everything that this planet had to offer…she found that she just wanted to forget all of that. She wanted to release the civility and the intelligence that normal monkeys didn't possess…the _obligations _that normal monkeys didn't possess…and just act as free as she felt here.

She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. As far as she could recall, she had never acted that way before (except for once according to Chiro, when their computerized minds had been shut down), and she wasn't sure if she should be worried or not that she wanted to act just like an ordinary monkey. After all, the planet was beautiful – one of the most beautiful that she had ever seen in her life – but was that really enough for them to consciously want to choose to enter such a primitive state? Or was it just that they were so relaxed here that their intelligent minds were giving way for their more primal…simple… thoughts to let loose?

Nova really couldn't say. All she knew was that she wanted to enjoy herself and have some fun, chasing the others and playing around while they were on the planet. Still, she did retain most of her right mind, and she knew that she had to wait for the other two and see if they had found whatever they had been searching for.

Besides, _someone_ had to wait since the other three had already succumbed to their need to fool around. With another sigh, she turned so that her back was facing the three, ignoring that they were running and jumping around, laughing and chasing each other. She feared that if she kept watching them, it wouldn't take too long before she was tempted to join them in their game.

But as she faced away from them, she came across the sight of Antauri standing by the bank of the river some distance away, his back towards her as he seemed to watch the passing water.

And she found herself wondering; what could it be like for the silver monkey at that very moment? She could possibly imagine what the others were thinking, what was possibly going on through their heads since their minds were more or less similar to her own. She knew that she could relate to them all in certain ways. But while they all (at least she assumed) were thinking of playing like normal monkeys would, she knew that Antauri wasn't like they were any longer. At least not in that way. He was no longer part monkey like the rest of them. While they were all somewhat giving their computerized brains a rest, his mechanized mind was all he had. So while they wanted to run around and relax, what was he thinking about?

Hesitating slightly, the golden monkey then slowly walked towards the other. When she stood a few feet behind him, she cleared her throat and asked softly, "Did you find anything Antauri?" She decided that easing into the subject would be a lot safer.

The second-in-command said nothing for a moment and simply stared at the open green space before him. Finally, Nova saw him shake his head as he said, "No. I was unable to find anything."

"Yeah…None of us found anything either, and Chiro still hasn't come back yet. Do you think maybe he found something?"

"Perhaps. If he did, though, we would have to wonder why he hasn't called us."

Nova nodded slightly, slowly stepping up to stand next to the other. Glancing towards him, she watched as he continued to stare out at the scene before them; the field of rich green grass mixed with the colorful assortment of wild flowers just before the tall trees took over the area. No matter how long she stared at it, she was always amazed.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper.

The silver monkey nodded slightly, his royal blue eyes still focused on the area around them. "I never knew that such a place existed," he replied. His deep tone was so gentle that she almost didn't hear what he was saying. "But I had always longed to find some place like this. In my desire for universal peace, this planet would be the perfect example of how it should start."

She frowned a little, turning back to look at her brother. There was something in his voice that didn't sound right. "Then…why aren't you happier about being here?"

She watched as he folded his arms across his silver torso, a troubled expression appearing in his eyes. "On the surface, everythingappears still and tranquil. But not everything is ever as it seems."

"What do you mean?"

"Even now, as we see the peaceful calm that surrounds this planet, I feel a strange sense of distress that disturbs it. Something has happened here before….something that greatly affected everything."

"But everything is so nice here. Are you saying it wasn't always like this?"

"Unfortunately, I believe so. And perhaps whatever had happened before is the reason why we can find no people, or why someone has been contacting Chiro for help."

Nova frowned again, looking back over their environment. Everything just seemed so nice and serene here; it was hard for her to imagine that anything bad could have ever happened. Or maybe she just didn't_ want_ to imagine it. After all the time they had spent chasing evil, couldn't they find _one_ place that had never seen the likes of it?

Before she had a chance to say anything about her thoughts, however, she was interrupted when Antauri suddenly groaned loudly and placed a hand to his chest. "What's wrong?" she asked instead.

She could see the grimace of pain that appeared on his features, and she felt the flutter of concern within her heart. She had seen this familiar expression on the other before, and it usually meant one thing.

"It's Chiro…" she barely heard the silver monkey say. "Something has happened to him…"

"What is it? Is he okay?"

She received no answer from him. Without warning, the second-in-command speed off, running toward the dense forest area.

Letting out a loud sigh, Nova turned around to look towards the hill where the three were still playing. "Hey guys!" she called loudly.

At first she saw nothing but the Robot. Then the heads of Otto, Gibson, and Sprx popped up just over the row of tall grass, all looking at her with curious black orbs.

"C'mon! We gotta go!" Watching them to make sure they'd follow, Nova then ran off after Antauri's retreating form.

* * *

Chiro groaned softly, shivering a little as he suddenly became aware of the cold surface that he lay on. His head was pounding painfully and his body felt weak enough to snap in half, but somehow he managed to push himself up. "Ugh…what happened…?" he muttered as he placed a hand to his throbbing head. His words slurred together in a voice that he hardly recognized as his own. He couldn't even remember blacking out. All he remembered was the orb, and the purple light…He groaned again.

"Oh gosh…" a soft voice suddenly echoed between his ears. "You don't look so good…"

Drowsily, the teen hero slowly lifted his head to look for where the voice was coming from. But his vision blurred, and all that he could see before him was a fuzzy black and purple entity. He watched wearily as it began to draw closer to him.

"Here," the unclear being said, "let me…"

The voice sounded vaguely familiar to him, but his mind was so tired from whatever happened that he didn't try to recognize it. Instead, he slowly tried to inch away from the thing that was approaching him, but his weakened body wouldn't allow him to move very quickly. He soon felt something gently grasp his shoulder.

"Please, don't move," the voice said again. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you…Okay?"

Whether he wanted to accept this individual's help or not, he was really in no condition to argue. Soon the object resting on his shoulder disappeared, and then he felt his hands kindly taken and held by what he assumed to be someone else's hands. And even with his blurred vision, Chiro could see the violet light that encased both his hands. He found that the longer that he watched that light, the more he felt his strength returning to him and his headache fade away into nothing. The longer he watched, the more his vision began to clear so he could see again.

And when the light faded and the teen felt as though he was back to normal, he found himself holding the hands of the human girl who sat before him.

"Um…thanks…" he said softly as the girl slowly got up and helped him to his feet. He couldn't help but notice that she was just about his height. The dark purple dress she wore only seemed to lighten her already pale skin, which somehow appeared to shine within the shadows of the cave, and its long skirt just reached her feet, which he noted were bare.

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling gently. "It's the least I could do after you helped me…"

It was then that Chiro recognized her pleasant voice. "Then…you were the one who was calling me…and asking me for help?"

She nodded slightly, tucking a loose strand of her long ebony hair behind her ear. "Yes, that was me. I've been waiting and calling out like thatfor a long time, hoping that _someone _would hear me, but no one ever did…Until you came along that is. And thanks to you, I'm finally free. I'm just sorry about what happened to you."

The boy frowned a little, placing a hand to his chest. "What _did _happen to me?" he asked, looking at her and finally noticing that her golden eyes also seemed to be glowing against the darkness that covered them. "I mean, I saw that purple orb thing, and when I touched it that light covered me…and then all of a sudden, I wake up on the floor."

The girl began twirling some strands of her hair with her index finger. "Well…y'see, I was locked away in the purple orb that you had grabbed."

Chiro frowned deeply. "Locked away?" he repeated.

"Yes. Only the right person could hear me while I was trapped, and only the energy of that person could free me. When you touched the orb, it took a large portion of your energy, because that was what I needed in order to be released. That's why you felt so weak when you woke up again. It's because your energy broke the seal that locked me up." Looking up at him, the girl smiled sweetly. "I owe you a lot."

"I…um…" The teen rubbed the back of his head, trying to say what he was thinking. There were so many questions that he had, so many things that he wanted to ask. But for now, he decided to ask the first question on his mind. "Well…um…you could start paying me back…by telling me your name."

The girl blinked a little, but then giggled softly. "My name's Kalli," she replied.

He decided then that he really enjoyed the sound of her voice. Extending his hand, he grinned a little and said, "I'm Chiro."

Slowly, Kalli reached up and accepted the hand that was offered to her in a quick handshake. As he released the girl's hand, the boy then asked, "So…why were you locked in that thing, anyway?"

But before she could answer, the teen watched with curiosity as she began to look around. He barely caught the frightened glimpse in her golden eyes. "Something's coming…" she said softly, her voice scarcely above a whisper as she took as step back, placing a pale hand to her chest.

Frowning a little, the boy turned away from her slightly to look towards the way he thought he had come through. After a few moments of standing silently, he soon thought he heard soft and distant sounds.

"Chiro!" a deep voice called, bouncing against the walls of the cave.

"Hey kid!" another voice rang out.

"Chiro?" came another voice.

"Chiro…!" a lighter voice called, the only female-sounding voice among them.

"Hello?" a last voice said curiously. "Anybody home?"

Smiling a little, Chiro then turned to look back at the girl. "It's okay," he said softly to her. "You don't have to worry about them."

"Are they friends of yours?" Kalli asked.

"Oh yeah. They're pretty nice when you get to know them."

"Chiro!" he heard Antauri call again.

Turning towards the path of entrance again, he called out to them, "I'm in here, guys!"

"What're you doing?" Kalli asked in a hushed voice, hiding behind him.

"I wanna introduce you to my friends," he replied, grinning a little as he looked over his shoulder at her. He did his best to hide back a chuckle when he felt her grip his shoulder slightly.

Soon he watched as the five robotic monkeys hovered up the stairs, the lights from their helmets blazing brightly. "Chiro!" Antauri said as they landed in front of him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" the teen replied, waving his hands dismissively.

The silver monkey frowned deeply. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, really, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Well, what happened?" Nova asked.

"It's…a long story. But, I think I found what we were looking for."

"Weren't you supposed to call us for that?" Sprx asked. "I mean, we were waiting for you, y'know."

"_Some_ of us were waiting, anyway," the golden monkey retorted, glancing at Sprx, Gibson, and Otto who all avoided her gaze.

"Yeah, I know…but I didn't think I could wait for you guys."

"But wasn't it on your orders that we would call the others if we found anything?" the chief of science inquired.

The teen sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I was kind of in a hurry."

"With what?" the second-in-command asked, looking at the young leader intently.

"Well…" Chiro took a step to the side, revealing the girl that was standing behind him. "Why don't you ask her?"

The monkeys blinked slightly, staring at her as she stared back at them. Nothing was said for a long moment before all six eyes turned to look at the young boy.

Smiling a little, Chiro took a step towards his fellow human. "Guys, this is Kalli. Kalli, these are my friends: Antauri, Nova, Sprx, Gibson, and Otto." As he spoke their names, he pointed to the monkeys respectively.

Nervously, the girl looked at him before turning back to the monkeys. Putting on a small smile on her lips, she bowed slightly to them. "Nice to meet you all," she said softly.

"So, are you the one that was calling Chiro for help?" the only female asked.

Kalli nodded slightly. "Yes. That was me."

"But how come?" Otto asked. "And how come we couldn't hear anything?"

The girl began twirling some strands of hair with her pale index finger. "Well, it's a rather long story."

"And I'm sure we'd all love to hear it," Sprx said quickly. "But how about we get outta this cave first before we hear it, huh?"

Chiro turned to the girl. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Yes…" Kalli said softly. "It's been so long since I've seen the sun…"

With a soft smile, the teen hero offered his hand to her. "Then we better get going…"

Returning the smile, the girl nodded and took his hand, following him and the other monkeys as they headed down the stone steps.

The only one that remained behind was Antauri, who watched the others head down before turning to look at the altar where the violet orb still rested. Frowning deeply, he slowly approached the rock table, wanting to get a closer look at the object.

"Hey Antauri!" Chiro's voice echoed against the cave walls. "What's the hold up? You comin' or what?"

The silver monkey turned slightly to look back at the rest of the team who were waiting for him halfway down the steps. Glancing once more at the orb, he then turned around fully and hurried down the stairs to catch up with them.

_TBC_

So, what did you guys think? I hope it was all right. And as I'm sure you all figured out, Kalli is not what she appears to be. But I shall reveal more about her as the story unfolds. Anyway, please review! Later!


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter! I...don't really have much to say about this one, so...Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Stepping out from under the shadows of the trees, Sprx stretched his arms and sighed loudly. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "I thought we'd never get out of that forest!"

"Oh please…" Nova retorted as she stepped out and stood behind him. "What's the matter, Sprx? Can't handle a little walk?"

"It's not that. When we were heading through there earlier to find the kid, we were in a hurry so it didn't take as long to get through the forest. But trying to get back…It felt like we were walking forever!" The red monkey turned to Chiro as he and Kalli came out into the clearing. "I can't believe you actually walked all that way for two hours…"

The young leader shrugged a little. "Actually, I kinda liked walking through the forest. But I gotta say…it didn't take as long to get to the mountain as it did to get back here."

"Perhaps the reason it took so long was because we had to stop many times along the way," Antauri stated as he and Gibson reached where the others stood.

"Sorry," Kalli said softly. "It's been a while since I've done _anything_, let alone walked through the forest…"

"Yeah Antauri," the boy added in her defense. "She's not used to everything yet. Give her a break, okay?"

The silver monkey said nothing in reply.

Turning back to the girl, Chiro offered her his hand. "Anyway, c'mon."

Hesitating slightly, she was about to reach for his hand when she looked up at the area before her. "Whoa!" she said as her eyes widened. Pointing forward, she asked, "What is _that_?"

Following the direction she was indicating, Chiro looked at what she was point at before smiling a little. "Oh, that's just the Super Robot," he replied. "That's how we got here in the first place."

"Oh really? So it's a ship or something?"

"Eh heh…" The leader rubbed the back of his head. "Actually…trying to explain exactly what the Super Robot is could be kinda complicated." He offered his hand to her once again. "But I'll let ya look around, if you want."

Kalli smiled a little and nodded as she took his hand, and the two of them headed towards the robot while Sprx and Nova followed.

"So what do you think of her?" Gibson asked softly as he and Antauri remained standing before the forest.

"I cannot say for certain yet," the second-in-command replied. "But I did sense something strange in the cave….In any case, all we can do for now is keep a close eye on her."

The blue monkey nodded slightly. "Right." Watching as the other began tohead afterthe others back towards the Super Robot, he was about to follow when he noticed that someone was still missing. With a sigh, he turned back towards the forest and looked upwards at the trees.

"Otto!" he called. "Would you please get down here?"

The leaves of the tree closest to him rustled a little. Then the mechanic's voice replied, "But this is fun!"

"Just what are you doing up there anyway?"

"…Swinging…"

The chief of science sighed softly, rubbing a throbbing spot on his forehead. "Otto…" he said, trying to keep down the agitation in his voice as much as possible, "we really don't have time for this…"

Otto's head suddenly poked out from amongst the foliage, a pout set on his features. "That's just it though!" he whined. "We never really ever have any time for fun!"

"That's not…entirely true. We have fun sometimes…."

"Yeah, right before something blows up or something."

Gibson couldn't help but frown a little as he watched the mechanic carefully. He had never really seen the other appear so upset before. Normally Otto was always the cheerful one among them and could find some kind of small enjoyment out of everything they did, no matter how serious the situation. To see the other act this way was a little strange in his mind. It didn't really fit Otto's personality, at least compared to what he was used to.

"Just come on down, Otto. We'll…erm…play a game or something later."

The green monkey looked at him curiously. "You promise?"

And he wasn't sure if he had winced or not. For him to actually _promise_ something like that…it felt so beneath the stature of his character. But then again, wasn't he one of the ones playing tag and running through the grass on all fours just a few hours prior? "Yes, I promise…" he finally said. "Now will you please come down?"

With a grin, Otto nodded and jumped out of the tree, landing on his feet beside the blue monkey. "Okay!" he said happily. "But you better keep your promise!"

Gibson sighed softly. "Yes, yes…let's go…"

Still grinning, the mechanic marched along after the other to rejoin the rest of the team across the river and stand at the base of the hill where the Super Robot stood.

Kalli stared up at the machine, her golden eyes wide. "It's so big…" she marveled softly.

Chiro smiled a little. "Yeah…I guess it is. But when you've been around the Robot for as long as I have, you kinda forget that sometimes."

"So you've been everywhere inside that thing?"

"Um…well…maybe not _every_where. But I've been through most of the Robot…I think."

The girl giggled softly, turning to look at the boy. "I see. Well, I still think that's pretty cool. How long does it take to explore it?"

"It depends…When you've got someone who knows where they're going, it probably won't take a really long time…You wanna see?"

Antauri frowned as he stood behind the two and listened to their conversation. He didn't mind too much that Chiro wanted to show this strange girl, whom they really knew nothing about in the first place, around the Super Robot. What really bothered him was that the teen wasn't even thinking of discussing the idea with the rest of the team. Though the boy was their leader, he still needed to consult decisions that could affect them all. Not only was the Super Robot their mode of transportation back to Shuggazoom, it was part of their home.

He felt a small wave of relief when he heard the girl reply, "Maybe a little later, Chiro."

The leader frowned a little, but then shrugged. "Really? How come?"

"Well…" The girl looked away from boy towards the hill. "You see…my village used to be here…"

"Your village?" Chiro repeated.

Kalli nodded slightly. "Yeah. Just around the hill. There used to be so many people living here, laughing and working, taking care of the land. But now…it's just so empty. I don't feel like…there's any one of my people left."

Chiro and Antauri exchanged brief glances with each other before they both turned back to the girl. "When we landed, I sensed no other presences here," the silver monkey said softly. "All I could sense was you, and even then I was uncertain of who or what you were."

The girl frowned deeply, her golden eyes focusing on the ground below. "What could have happened to my village?" she wondered aloud. Then, her eyes widened as she looked back up at the hill. "Unless…"

"Unless…what?" the leader asked softly.

"It's…a long story."

Watching her for a moment, the boy then turned to look at his teammates. The robotic simians returned his gaze with curious ones of their own, and he knew that they were all wondering about the story as well. Turning back to her, he said softly, "Well…we've got time right now."

Facing the Hyperforce, Kalli studied them carefully with scrutinizing golden eyes, as if trying to decide whether they were trustworthy enough to learn of her history. After a silent minute, she nodded slightly. "All right," she said softly.

The girl motioned for the others to sit down in the field, trying to gather her thoughts to explain her story to them. Crossing her arms over her torso, she inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly as she closed her eyes to visualize all she was going to say. "The planet Verdane…" she finally began softly, "has always been a planet of beauty and peace. My people lived off the land, but only took what they needed in order to survive. We always did what we could to take care of the plants and animals around us, and we were careful to not destroy anything if we could help it. We were at peace here with our land, and we were all very happy.

"Then one day, this…sorcerer came to our village. He told us that he had traveled the galaxies learning and developing his magic, and it had come time for him to finally find a successor to his knowledge. He said that he had come to Verdane because he had felt a strong potential for magic, and he sought to teach that person all that he knew. He stayed for a few days, watching and talking with us, learning more about us to find who it was that possessed the ability to learn his ways. The next thing I knew, he was asking my parents if there was any place where we could go so he could teach me with no distractions.

"The sorcerer took me to the mountain at the edge of the forest where you found me, and in that cave we lived for a few weeks. I did all that I could, and I tried my hardest to learn everything he was trying to teach me. But no matter how much I learned, he just wasn't satisfied. He kept pushing me to do better, to learn faster…I couldn't keep up with all of it. He got angry at me…I guess because he spent all that time looking for someone to take his place, and the one that he found couldn't handle it.

"But I'm not really sure what happened after that. I remember…one day, after I had messed up another spell, he got really frustrated with me. I mean, really frustrated. I had never seen anyone so angry before. The sorcerer was never really a nice person, but I had never seen him act like that until that day. He went back to town, still angry and demanding that there must have been someone else who could do magic. Then he…started to attack my people…"

Kalli paused, inhaling deeply as she bowed her head and wiped her eyes. Letting out a trembling sigh, she slowly continued. "I did my best to stop him…but I was still no good at magic, and so he beat me…so easily. I don't know why, but he locked me and my powers away in the orb that you found me in…After that, I've been waiting for someone to come and free me." Turning to Chiro, she smiled slightly. "I've been waiting…for you…"

The boy felt his face become increasingly hot. Chuckling softly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I…um…You don't really think you were…waiting for _me_, were you?"

She smiled a little. "Maybe. I mean, I don't know how long I spent in there, calling and hoping that someone could hear me. I thought I'd be in there forever until you came along." Smile fading, the girl looked up at the sky and sighed softly, pushing back strands of her ebony hair as a gentle wind blew it towards her face. "I just wish…I knew what could have happened to my village."

Watching her for a moment, Chiro frowned slightly. Then suddenly, an idea came to him and he grinned. "I know! Why don't we help you find your people?"

He felt six pairs of eyes focused on him. "What?" six voices asked.

Taking Kalli's hand, the leader then turned to the five monkeys. "We can help Kalli find her people! I mean, I'm sure it'll be easier if we help her than if she was looking by herself."

"But Chiro," Nova said, "we were all looking for a while, and we didn't find anything, remember?"

"That's right," Gibson added. "Nearly two hours of searching, and we couldn't find a trace of anyone…"

"But what if they're all hiding?" Otto asked softly.

"Yeah!" The teen flashed a thankful smile at the mechanic before turning back to the others. "Maybe they're just hidden away somewhere, like Kalli was. If we search the whole planet, maybe we can find something…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sprx, said, shaping a 't' with his hands. "Time out! The whole _planet_? Are you crazy, kid? That could take forever!"

"And besides," Kalli said, turning to the boy, "even if you searched the whole planet, what if you don't find anyone from my village?"

The leader paused for a moment, placing a hand to his chin while he thought. Turning back to her, he then said, "If…we don't find your people…then we can take you back to our planet!"

The monkeys' eyes widened slightly, and they all exchanged uncertain glances.

"Back…to your planet?" the girl repeated softly, unable to grasp at the notion.

Chiro nodded, a smile still on his face. "Yeah! Shuggazoom is a really cool place. I mean, it's nothing like this place, but it's still pretty cool. I really think you'd learn to like it."

"You'd…you'd really take me to live on your home planet with you?" she asked.

"Sure. I mean…if you wanna go, that is."

"Chiro…" Antauri said sternly before the sorceress could answer, "may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Looking at the silver monkey, the teen blinked slightly. He glanced at Kalli and the other monkeys who all shared his curious expression before following his second-in-command away from the group. Watching the other float in front of him, he soon found himself standing in the short-grass field.

After a moment of silence, Antauri turned to the boy. "Are you sure this is a wise idea, Chiro?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"We've just met Kalli, after all, and we really know little about her."

The leader frowned slightly. "We know enough, Antauri. I mean, she was locked away by some sorcerer, and she's just trying to find her family and her village. She's all alone on her home planet, and we need to help her anyway we can."

"But to search the entire planet for her people? Just as Sprx had stated, that could take an extensive amount of time. And if we find none of her people, we'll be taking her back to Shuggazoom with us?"

"Well, we can't just leave her by herself, or not do anything for her! We need to do _something_, right?"

The silver monkey nodded slightly. "I agree, we should do something. But is what you've decided to do the _right_ course of action?"

Scratching the back of his head, the teen frowned and looked at the other. "Well, I think so…But c'mon, don't you trust me, Antauri?"

"Of course I trust you, Chiro…" the robotic simian replied.

"Then don't worry so much, okay?" The boy grinned a little. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

And Antauri watched as his leader headed back around the hill towards the group. When he was gone, the monkey sighed softly. "Of course I trust _you_, Chiro…" he repeated softly. "However, I'm having trouble trusting _her_…"

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that."

Slightly startled, he turned and came face-to-face with the young sorceress. In return, Kalli simply smiled as she held her hands behind her back. "I told the others that I was going to take a little walk," she said as she slowly approached him, "and I couldn't help but overhear you."

Antauri said nothing and simply watched her with impassive cerulean eyes. Part of him knew that he should apologize for what he had said, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to.

All he did was watch as she slowly walked up to him, standing only a few feet away from the spot where he hovered. "Anyway," she continued, "you don't seem to like me much, do you…Antauri was it?"

The silver monkey nodded slightly. "Forgive me," he said quietly, "if anything I said or did offended you. I merely wish to watch over Chiro and my teammates and makes sure nothing goes wrong."

"I understand," Kalli said, returning the nod. "It must seem weird that I kind of appear out of nowhere. And with the story I told it makes me seem even weirder, I'm sure."

"The power…I sensed before," Antauri said, still watching the sorceress, "is what really concerned me. And as you were telling us your story, I had to assume that the power I sensed was yours."

"That's true. It was most likely my power that you were sensing."

Antauri frowned deeply. When he had felt the pain that passed through Chiro, he had felt a cold and dark power, filled with hatred and rage. And when he had first set eyes on the girl, he knew that there was something very strange about her. There was simply something about her that he didn't trust.

"What is it exactly that you want?" he asked softly.

He watched her smile slightly, letting her hands fall to her sides. But the smile wasn't the same innocent, friendly one that she had always shown them. This look felt much different. "I'm not sure what you mean, Antauri," Kalli replied sweetly. But he could hear the insincerity in her tone.

And he jumped slightly when she suddenly petted him on the head. "You know, you're a cute monkey," she said, smiling once again. "And you're very sweet, wanting to protect your friends. It's very…noble of you."

Without another word, Kalli turned and headed away, humming softly and skipping away. But as he watched her go, Antauri placed a hand on his chest. When the girl had placed her hand on his head, he had felt something…troubling. He had felt as though…his very soul had trembled.

_TBC_

What'd you all think? Please review and let me know (though no flames if you can help it)!


	4. Chapter 4

The plan had been to search the entire planet for Kalli's people, or at least findany clue that could explain what might have happened to them. But now he was beginning to see how difficult it would be to accomplishing that task.

"What if we disengaged the Robot?" Chiro suggested to his team after what felt like an eternity. "Then we can search the planet in the separate ships."

"We would possibly cover much more ground that way," Gibson replied as they stared at an image of the planet on the main computer screen. "With our ships, it may not take as much time as we thought it would."

"But what about the Torso Tank and the Foot Cruisers?" Otto asked. "If we use those, they might destroy the plants and animals that live here."

The teen frowned slightly, folding his arms across his torso. It was a very good point. Using the land vehicles could trample over the life that inhabited the planet. And he remembered that Kalli had mentioned that her people did whatever they could to preserve the natural land. Even if it was to find her kinfolks, he doubted that Kalli would want them to destroy her home.

"Okay, okay…" the leader said. "How about we just take the Fist Rockets and the Brain Scrambler? Since they fly, it should be okay. And we can have two to a ship…"

"What about Kalli?" Nova asked. "Are you planning on taking her with us?

Chiro opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again as a sudden thought occurred to him. It had been his original intention to bring the sorceress along to search for the people of her village since she would be the only one who could recognize anything important. But had she ever been flying in a rocket ship before? Would she be scared to fly that way in an unfamiliar spacecraft? He certainly didn't want to frighten her in any way. He still wasn't sure just how much she trusted him, and it probably wouldn't help to have her stand in a crammed vessel with him and one of the others flying at top speed over the planet.

"Maybe it'd be better if she stays here," Sprx suddenly offered, bringing their leader out of his thoughts.

"But we shouldn't leave her all alone," the boy argued, frowning as he continued to come up with a solution. "Okay, how about this: Antauri, you take the Brain Scrambler. Sprx and Gibson, take Nova and Otto with you in the Fist Rockets."

"What about you?" Antauri asked softly. "What will you do?"

"I'll stay here with Kalli, and we'll keep looking around here on foot or something. It might take a little longer to search this way, but I think it's the best way to do it for now."

"Will the two of you be all right on your own?" the silver monkey asked, more suspicious than anything.

"Yeah, we should be. Or maybe I can take my jet pack. Anyway, it might be easier to look for things that lead underground if we're close to the ground. Still, keep a lookout for anything that might be important. If you find something, make sure to contact the rest of us."

"You gonna take your own advice this time, kid?" Sprx questioned teasingly.

Chiro shot him a slight glare before turning back to the others. "There should be enough fuel and energy for you guys to search for a while, but return as soon as you can anyway."

The robotic monkeys nodded slightly.

The boy returned the nod. "Okay. Let's head out, Monkey Team."

* * *

Sprx sighed softly as his eyes carefully looked over the screen before him, scanning for anything that might be significant. "Nothing yet…" he muttered, mostly to himself than to the one behind him.

"Well, how far do you think we've gone this way?" Nova asked.

"I'm not really sure. But I'm guessing that we've been flying for about a few hours, so I'm guessing we've gotten some pretty good distance, especially at this speed."

The golden monkey groaned softly. "We've been flying that long? No wonder I'm feeling cramped."

Glancing back at her briefly, the hot shot pilot thought for a moment. Then he began pushing some of the control buttons with his tail and flipped a nearby switch.

His actions, of course, did not go unnoticed by his passenger. "What are you doing?" she asked.

He grinned a little. "Well, you just said you were feeling cramped. So I thought we could both stretch our legs a bit. Besides, maybe we'll have a little more luck finding something when we're on the ground."

"Wow Sprx…You actually had a good idea for once."

"Ha…ha…" Shooting her a slight glare, the red monkey carefully continued the slow landing in the field that he had seen on the screen. Once the Fist Rocket had touched the ground, he pushed a few more buttons with his tail and flipped a few more switches, and soon the power of the ship shut down. Removing the plug from his helmet, he turned to the other monkey. "Okay, let's get going," he said.

Seeing her nod in silent agreement, Sprx slowly led her out of the ship and found himself standing in another field that appeared very similar to the one where they had landed the Super Robot. The only difference between this field and the other field was that the grass appeared much longer, and the area was absent of any kinds of hills or trees. But the rich fragrance of the vibrant and diverse flowers, the soft and cool sensation of the grass, and the gentle warmth of the sun from overhead was all the same.

He had never really noticed things this way before. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in admiring the beauty that surrounded him (even if he acted in a way that contradicted himself). He just never really found the time to just stop and take it all in. It always seemed that there was something that they needed to do, something they needed to plan, something they had to stop in order to ensure peace in Shuggazoom and the universe. There were times that he didn't really mind too much. He rather enjoyed the daring action that followed when flying off into battle. It wasn't so much as he enjoyed actually _fighting_ but rather the exciting rush that swept through him and aided him in the battle, such as when maneuvering the Fist Rocket through a particularly difficult area to fly through. It was the thrill that he enjoyed, and even though he preferred a world without evil, it at least gave him something to do.

There were times, though, that he felt a little overwhelmed with the things he needed to do that he was unable to drop everything and just look around him. Of course there had been moments where everything seemed to be all right and he could take things slow, but in the end it was really just the calm before the storm. Something always eventually came up, and it was back to planning, working, doing…The usual.

And he wasn't like Antauri, who was able to take notice of everything around him no matter what he was doing. He wasn't capable of feeling and sensing everything even when he was in the middle of a battle. Plans and ideas didn't come to him through meditation like it did with the silver monkey where he could also easily reflect on other things. Sprx preferred to focus on one thing at a time. Nor was he like Otto, who took notice of everything around him _despite _what he was doing. The friendly and playful mechanic that sometimes would drop everything he was doing, opportune time or not, in order to watch or fool around with something that happened to grab his attention. It wasn't really a _bad_ thing to do…so long as he was focused where it really mattered.

Those two especially had always been aware of things that surrounded them, absorbed or fascinated by something that he might never had seen unless someone pointed it out to him. Because he was always busy thinking or doing something else, something that – as far as he was concerned – needed to be done. They had things they had to do, of course. Yet they always had some time to drop everything and do whatever it is they wanted to do. At least that was the way he saw it. And there were times when he was a little jealous of their ability to do that.

But here and now on this strange planet that they've landed on, something was different. It was true that they were in the middle of something that they were supposed to be doing. Yet he found himself enjoying the scenery that surrounded him. Just what was it about this place that made him feel so relaxed?

Shaking his head slightly, Sprx then turned towards the other monkey, about to suggest that they start looking around for anything. He stopped, however, when he noticed the strange look in Nova's eyes as she stared out at the environment. When they had first landed, she had seemed so excited to be there, captivated by the beauty around them as they all had been. So why did she seem so troubled now?

"Nova?" he asked softly.

She blinked rapidly before turning towards him. "What?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"What's up? You look like you've got a lot on your mind…"

She shook her head slightly, waving her hand dismissively. "I was just thinking about something, that's all…You probably wouldn't understand."

"Why don't you try me?"

"Forget it, Sprx," she said crossly. "Let's just get going."

Watching her walk away from him, the red monkey sighed softly before hurrying to catch up with her. She was going to be stubborn about it, and he began debating on whether he should simply drop the subject or annoy her until she told him what was bothering her. Of course, if he tried to bug her about it, she may only become angrier with him without telling him what she was thinking about to begin with. Perhaps it would have been best to simply let it go.

As they were walking, however, he couldn't help but notice a certain flower as he nearly passed by it. Stopping to look at it, he blinked a little as he watched the golden petals reflect the light of the sun, giving the flower an almost shining aura around it. Glancing ahead at his teammate as she continued to walk away from him, he then carefully took the flower between his fingers, breaking it off from the rest of its stem before following her again.

As he finally drew alongside her, he cleared his throat loudly. "Hey Nova?" he said.

"What is it Sprx?"

"Um…well…" He held the flower up in front of her. "Here…"

The golden monkey blinked questioningly, stopping in her tracks as she stared at the flower that was being presented to her. "What…what's this for?" she asked.

The hot shot shrugged slightly. "I dunno…I just thought you might like it…"

She looked up at him, uncertain, before hesitantly reaching up and taking the blossom from him. "Thanks…"

He smiled a little and nodded. "Sure…and y'know…if you ever need to talk about anything…I'm here to listen."

Nova looked at him curiously, tilting her head to the side slightly. Looking down at the flower she held, she then smiled a little and looked back up at him. "Thanks Sprx," she said softly.

His smile grew into a grin. "No problem. Anyway…I guess we better get going…"

"Yeah…I guess we should…"

* * *

Otto smiled slightly as he stood amidst the flowers, inhaling their fragrances deeply before letting out a soft, content sigh. Stretching his body, he glanced back at the Fist Rocket's doorway and waited for Gibson to catch up with him.

When the chief of science finally joined him outside, the mechanic then looked around the area surrounding them. "So what are we looking for…exactly?" he asked curiously, scratching the back of his head.

"Anything that we can find…" the blue monkey replied. "Any sign of people, or perhaps an entrance to an underground chamber."

"Underground chamber? What's that for?"

"Well, weren't you the one who suggested that Kalli's people may not be detectable instantaneously?"

"Oh…yeah…" The green monkey grinned a little sheepishly.

Gibson sighed softly. "Anyway…let's start looking around here for a little bit. If we find nothing, we'll get back in the Fist Rocket and try a different location."

"Okay!" Otto answered bubbly before darting off in a random direction. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be looking for, but he figured that he'd know it once he found it.

After bounding around for a moment, his pace slowed so that he was walking leisurely through the grass, feeling the soft blades brush against his body. His tail twitched slightly, and he found himself wanting to run once again on all fours and chase after the dragonfly that happened to flit right in front of him and hurry away in the same instance. He wanted to roll around in the grass, lie under the warm sun, and maybe even fall asleep for a while. Or perhaps even splash around in the river and see how deep or feel how cold it was. Plus, Gibson did promise him that they'd play a game later…whenever that would be.

But the green monkey knew that they were supposed to be doing something. Chiro had given them orders, after all, and he wanted to do his best to help. He had noticed how close the boy kept to the young sorceress, or how happy he seemed when he spoke with her. When they had prepared to leave, he had seen their leader already engaged in a deep conversation with the girl as the two of them headed away into the forest.

He didn't blame Chiro for his behavior at all, either. After all, they had spent such a long time in space, chasing and battling evil. And through the entire time, the boy had only him and the other monkeys to talk with and keep him company. He knew perfectly well that their leader – and their friend – enjoyed spending time with them and being among them…that he cared for them. But Otto also understood that Chiro was human, and would also want human interaction. The type of interaction that had been absent from the teen's life for quite a while. To be able to talk with another human again was obviously something that made Chiro happy, and so he wanted to do everything he could to help his friend stay that happy for a while longer, especially since they still had quite a while before they got back to Shuggazoom.

Besides, just because they were doing something important now didn't mean that he couldn't make it fun somehow.

Looking up ahead of him, the mechanic noticed a single tree standing in the clearing, casting its shadow over an empty piece of land where no grass grew. As he thought for a moment, he decided that maybe if he climbed to the top of the tree, he could perhaps look around for anything noteworthy without being too far off the ground. If there were any people nearby, he'd certainly see them from the top of a tree, and maybe he'd find something that resembled a hiding place.

As he drew closer to the tree, however, he frowned and tilted his head a little when he noticed an odd lump by the roots of the tree. Slowing to a stop, he noticed that the heap was a pile of dry leaves and twigs, and some of it seemed to be weaved together. Kneeling down in front of the mass, he frowned a little. "Looks like a nest…" he said softly to himself before looking up at the tree. "Did it fall out or somethin'?"

Looking back at the next, he frowned a little as he carefully sifted through the broken nest. But as he pushed away some of the leaves, he blinked when he saw a small sapphire sphere. It was the only whole piece amongst shattered fragments of the same type.

"An egg?" he said aloud, carefully picking up the blue orb and holding it in the palm of his hand. Looking over the egg, he saw that there were no cracks on the surface. "Looks like all the other eggs hatched already…I guess this one was a dud." He smiled a little. "Maybe I can take it as a souvenir."

He jumped slightly, however, when the egg in his hand suddenly began to move. Slightly startled, he held the object in both hands to keep from dropping it. He watched with wide onyx eyes as the egg shook and trembled slightly before a small black crack appeared on the azure shell. Then he followed the crack as it spread and grew larger, branching off into smaller cracks that marred the surface.

And soon, he watched as a small piece of the blue shell broke off, creating a hole and revealing a small, yellow point. The point seemed to feel around, pushing against another piece of the shell and making the hole bigger. More sapphire pieces fell into Otto's hands as a small, black baby bird broke through it. The ebony feathers were clumped together due to the moisture inside the egg, and its black eyes seemed to be too large for the chick to raise its head.

But he continued to watch the small bird for a few minutes, and soon it shook and cleaned itself from its pre-birth liquids and remaining pieces of shell that clung to its body. Flapping its tiny wings, the chick dried itself off so the feathers seemed to spread and cover its small body. When it had finished with its task, it looked up at the green monkey and began to chirp softly.

"Aww…!" he said, smiling as he began to stroke the chick's feathered head. "You're so cute!"

"Otto…!" he suddenly heard a voice call from behind. Turning slightly, he watched as Gibson jogged to where he was still kneeling.

"I was just about to contact you," the blue monkey said as he stopped a few feet away. "Have you found anything around here?"

"Well…" the mechanic began, glancing at the chick in his hands. Hesitantly, he then showed it to the other. "I found this…"

Gibson blinked slightly. "What is _that_?" he asked.

"It's a baby bird…" Otto then grinned a little. "Can I keep it?"

* * *

"And that's pretty much everything that's happened so far," Chiro said, kicking a nearby rock as he and Kalli continued to walk through the forest. They had both thought to check around the mountain where Kalli had been locked away for any clues that could tell them what happened to her people, but eventually they diverged from the path that took them to the mountain and instead were walking aimlessly in another direction.

And since the sorceress had explained to them some of her life, the leader had decided that it was only fair that he should tell her a little about _his _life. Plus, she had asked about it as well.

"Really?" the girl asked, looking up at him curiously. "I mean, I guess I understand since you found the Robot, you should be made leader…and as leader, it would be your responsibility to chase after your nemesis, even through space…But what's this 'Chosen One' thing?"

"That's what Antauri told me when we went up against the Skeleton King for the very first time. He said that I was the Chosen One to wield the Power Primate."

Kalli frowned a little. "Antauri told you that?"

The boy nodded slightly. "Yeah. He taught me a lot about it…and actually, he still does teach me a lot about it, since he's a master of it and all. It really helps that he's around."

The sorceress looked down at the ground she was walking on. "Antauri's…not like the other monkeys, is he?"

Glancing at the girl, Chiro flinched a little as the memory returned to his mind. It had been a while since he had thought of the event. "No…he's not," he said softly. "It's partially because of me, I guess…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I told you about how Antauri…died that one time…And how I brought him back into the silver body that he now has, right?"

Kalli nodded slightly. "Right."

"Well, I did put him in that body, and it's a fully mechanical body. The others are part monkey at least…I mean, they're monkeys that are also part robot. But Antauri's a little different because he's all Robot. He just still looks like a monkey."

She watched him for a moment before playing with strands of her ebony hair. "And you said that Antauri's the one that's been teaching you about the Power Primate."

"Yeah. I guess I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for Antauri. He's really helped me a lot since I joined the Hyperforce."

Kalli frowned a little, breaking contact with him. "Maybe…you should be careful, Chiro."

He blinked a little as he looked at her, bemused. "What?"

"I just said…you should be careful."

"Why?"

The girl began playing with her hands slightly. "It's just….well, maybe there was a reason that you were able to free me from my confinement."

"I don't…really get what you mean."

"Things happen for a reason, right? So, there must be a reason that _you_ were able to release me from the orb, or why it happened in this point in time."

"I…guess…"

Kalli looked up at him again with a strange look in her golden eyes, one that Chiro wasn't entirely sure of. "I just…find it a little strange that you, someone who's capable of great potential, whose life is controlled by destiny and taught to you by a "master", was able to free me, who was betrayed by my own master when he tried to teach me how to reach _my_ potential…"

As the words replayed once again in his mind, Chiro finally began to understand what the girl was implying. "No way!" he said, shaking his head furiously. "Antauri would never do anything like that! He's taught me everything I know so that we can help fight against evil. Besides, I'm sure he knows how you feel anyway, so he'd never do that."

The girl blinked a little in surprise. "What do you mean he knows how I feel?"

"Antauri had masters too. He learned all about the Power Primate from them. But it turns out that they had been working for our enemy, Skeleton King, the whole time."

"Really?"

Chiro nodded firmly. "Yeah. So he knows what it's like to be betrayed by the one who taught you everything, and he'd never do that…"

Watching him a little, the sorceress shrugged a bit. "If you say so. But you said that Antauri was taught _everything_ he knows by the ones who betrayed him. What if he learned of loyalty from them as well?"

"How can you say that? That's like saying that you'd become like the sorcerer who taught _you_!"

She shook her head slightly. "There's a difference, isn't there? I _tried_ to learn everything the sorcerer taught me, but I wasn't able to. There was just something that I couldn't get. But you said that Antauri learned everything he knows from his masters. Wouldn't that mean that he would strive to be more like them?"

"I…um…" The boy frowned slightly, looking at the ground and trying to think before looking back up at her. "Maybe before…but now that he knows, he wouldn't…"

"Maybe he wouldn't…" Kalli said gravely. "But maybe he _would_…" With that, she turned away from him and continued walking through the forest.

Watching her go, Chiro rubbed the back of his neck and bit his tongue. 'Antauri'd never do something like that,' he thought, '…would he…?'

* * *

The vast cave walls echoed softly with the sound of the mechanical whirl as Antauri slowly made his way up the steps towards the altar at the top. Though the light from his helmet brightened the way, it was pale compared to the violet illumination that derived from the orb where it remained on the stone table.

When he finally reached the end of the stairs, the silver monkey shut off his helmet light and simply stared at the bright sphere that rested on its shrine with a frown set deep in his features. He watched the object's radiance that never wavered, casting away the darkness inside the confines of the mountain.

After exploring part of Verdane as he had been instructed, the second-in-command had been on the way of returning to the Super Robot – or rather, what remained of it – at the spot where they had initially landed. As he was traveling towards his destination, however, he had seen the mountain where they had first encountered Kalli…the mountain where she had been imprisoned in the orb before Chiro had set her free. And while he had initially meant to pass by it, he felt something strange pass through him. The sensation was a powerful one, and he soon found himself turning around and landing in the field that lay at the mount's base.

And as he stood at the rock altar and looked at the deep light that filled the cave, he thought he understood what the feeling was. It was the same feeling that had consumed him when he first set eyes upon the sorceress…the same feeling that only deepened when he had studied the orb before leaving the cave with the others. The light that shone at that time was the same as the light that was glowing around him now.

But if Kalli had been set free from the orb, what was left inside that allowed it to continue glowing?

He knew there was something very wrong with the girl. But the only proof he had was his own suspicions, and the feeling that he sensed around Kalli was not shared by the rest of the team. If he voiced his opinion without any proof first, the others might only write him off as paranoid.

Truthfully, he wished that he could trust her and that he was wrong about her. Yet something within told him that he could not.

Slowly, Antauri drew closer to the altar. Raising his hand, he reached to touch it. But as he did so, a string of violet lightning shot from the orb and struck at his hand. He snatched his hand back quickly and watched as a thin stream of black smoke rose from where the electricity had connected with him. The blow itself had not hurt, but the instant it hit he had felt the same terrible feeling that filled him when Kalli had placed her hand on his head. And he found himself shuddering slightly as the smoke slowly disappeared.

In that one instance, he felt oddly cold.

Taking a step away from the table, Antauri turned to head away when a strange glitter caught his eye from the base of the stone steps. As he looked towards it curiously, he saw a strange dark object lying some distance away from the staircase. On the top of the object was what appeared to be a small jade jewel that sparkled against the dark violet light.

Glancing back at the steps behind him, the silver monkey then jumped down from the top and landed at the base, a few steps away from where the object and jewel rested. The violet light continued to shine enough from him to study the object. He slowly reached out, feeling the dark entity first to determine what it was. He found that he was handling some sort of black cloth, but as he carefully tugged on the material, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of what lay under the fabric.

Bones.

Antauri jumped a few feet back, startled at the sight. Underneath the cloth were bones…the bones of what appeared to have been a single person. A person. The fabric was covering a skeleton! Placing a hand to his chest, the silver monkey tried to think. Did this person die in this cave? What had happened to him or her? And why in this cave? Was this person connected to Kalli somehow?

Looking back at the skeleton, hidden beneath the midnight sheet, he then saw the jewel once again and finally noticed the pale hand bones that tightly clutched the string attached to the jade pendant. Had the person been guarding the gem? In his mind, the gem seemed to be rather important. Slowly he reached out to take hold of it.

But he pulled back his hand as his communication signal sounded. His ear antennas extended to allow the transmission.

"Antauri?" Chiro's voice sounded from the communicator. "Where are you?"

"I…was just on my way back," he replied softly, his cobalt eyes still focused on the jade pendant.

"Oh, okay. The others are already here, and it's starting to get dark. Kalli says there's about two hours of daylight left. How far away are you?"

"Not far. I'll be there before it gets dark."

"All right. Hurry back, Antauri."

"Right." The transmission ended, and his ear antennas returned to their normal position. He lingered for a moment longer before turning and quickly heading out of the cave.

For some reason, he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that he'd be returning to the cave soon.

_TBC_

Huh...no author's note at the beginning of the chapter? That's a first...But I couldn't think of anything interesting to say.

Wow, that was a long chapter, wasn't it? But I got everything that I wanted to get out in this one. But yeah, I hope everything was okay. This chapter will have to last for a while, because I'm going out of town and I'm not sure how much I'll be abel to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please review! Later!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey there! I'm back from vacation, and I had an awesome time!

I won't bore you with the details, though. Instead, I'm here to present the next chapter to my story! Yay!

I think I'm going to end up borrowing some ideas from another story of mine, "Void." It just makes things easier for me, I think. But I don't think you'll need to read the story to understand the things I end up using here, because I'll probably explain them sometimes. However, it could help you, the readers, understand the ideas better if you did read "Void," just because that story goes into slightly more detail about them.

Still, if you don't want to read "Void," you don't have to. I don't think it's absolutely necessary.

Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

"So…what is that thing?" Sprx asked as he looked at the black object that rested on Otto's head.

"It's a baby bird," the mechanic replied. "I found it while Gibson and I were looking around, and it wouldn't stop following me."

"That's because it has imprinted you in its mind," the scientist replied. "You were there at the time of its hatching, and therefore it believes you to be its caretaker because your face was the very first image it saw and came to recognize."

The green monkey blinked slightly as he stared at the other.

Nova sighed softly. "I think he means the bird thinks you're its mother, Otto."

"Oh…"

"So what are you gonna call it?" Chiro asked as he waved his finger in front of the chick. It chirped happily and playfully tried to catch the moving object.

"I dunno. I don't really know anything about this bird."

"It's a black mong bird," Kalli said softly from her spot behind Chiro. "The birds' feathers are usually black, but when they sing, their feathers change colors depending on their mood."

The leader of the Hyperforce turned to the girl. "Really?"

She nodded. "Uh huh. When they're angry or challenging another bird in their territory, for example, they sing warning songs and turn bright red. When they've lost a mate or if an egg doesn't hatch, they sing and become a deep blue. And when they're happy, they sing and turn white."

"Wow…!"

Smiling a little, the girl then walked closer to inspect the bird more carefully. "And judging by the small silver streak across its beak, this little mong is a female. Male mong birds have gold streaks."

"So it's a girl, huh?" Otto asked, scooping the bird off his helmet and gently holding it in his hands. "Then…maybe I'll call her Ring."

"Ring?" the hot shot pilot asked.

"Well, Kalli said they change colors based on their moods. And it kinda made me think of mood rings, so…"

The red and blue monkeys rolled their eyes slightly, but shrank back when Nova glared at them. Turning back to the mechanic, she said, "Well, I think it's a cute name, Otto."

"Me too," the boy agreed. Looking back at the bird, he smiled a little. "So how 'bout it Ring? Wanna sing a song for us?"

The chick stared at the teen for a moment before chirping softly.

"Mongs can't sing right away, Chiro," the girl informed him. "It takes a few weeks before they're able to sing."

"Oh yeah? That's too bad." Sighing a little, he then looked up at the sky. "How long until the sun starts to set, Kalli?"

"About an hour, I think."

"Hmm…" The boy frowned slightly as he folded his arms behind his head. "So then I called Antauri about an hour ago. I wonder where he could be…"

As if on cue, the sound of jets roared overhead as the Brain Scrambler appeared up in the sky. As they stood at the base of the hill, the six of them watched the ship as it flew towards the rest of the robot at its place on the hill, nearly whole and waiting for its last piece. The craft hovered over the incomplete machinder as it quickly transformed back into the robot's head before slowly lowering and connecting to the body.

Things were quiet between the rest of them for a moment. Finally, after looking around at his friends, Otto said, "Antauri's here!"

Sprx glanced at him, annoyed. "Thanks for the news, Otto," he muttered sarcastically.

Soon, the door at the base of the robot's foot opened and closed quickly, and the silver monkey then landed amongst the group. Chiro and the monkeys remained unfazed by his action, but Kalli jumped a little in surprise at his sudden appearance.

This of course didn't go unnoticed by the leader of the Hyperforce. Frowning a little, he then turned to Antauri. "You shouldn't do things like that," he chastised. "Kalli's still not used to us and everything yet."

Looking at the teen, the silver monkey blinked slightly. He hadn't expected the other to make such a comment, and he certainly didn't expect the displeased tone he was spoken to with or the disappointed look in the boy's eyes.

"It's okay, Chiro," the girl suddenly said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sure he didn't mean to scare me."

Turning to look at her, the young leader's gaze softened a little as he smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

Gazing at Kalli as well, Antauri frowned deeply as she smiled pleasantly. No matter how warm she appeared to be, he could see the true coldness in her eyes. But quickly glancing at his leader, he then focused his eyes on the ground. Why couldn't Chiro, or even any of the others, see through her façade?

"So where were you, Antauri?" Nova asked, drawing the second-in-command from his thoughts.

"Yeah," Sprx added, "the kid called you an hour ago. Were you that far away?"

"Oh…no," the silver monkey replied softly. "Actually, I became…preoccupied with some other things."

"Some other things?" Gibson repeated curiously.

"Were you able to find anything important, Antauri?" Chiro questioned.

The robotic simian hesitated slightly, feeling six pairs of eyes focused directly on him. Glimpsing at the sorceress briefly, he then turned his attention back to the boy. "No…" he finally replied softly. "I was unable to find anything."

Sighing softly, Chiro kicked the ground a little. "Darn it…And I really thought we'd be able to find something," he mumbled.

"That's all right…" Kalli said. "It's only been one day. And you're trying at least…That means a lot to me."

Blushing a little, the young leader rubbed the back of his head and shifted his gaze, chuckling in slight embarrassment. "So, um…what should we do now?"

"The sun will set soon," the chief of science said, "so it would be best if we take shelter in the Super Robot before it gets dark. There's no telling what kind of creatures lurk around here at night."

"You don't have to worry about the night animals, Gibson," the girl replied as she played with strands of her ebony hair. "They're small and won't really bother us. And to tell you the truth, it won't really be too dark out here. We can see the moon and the stars…and the lightning bugs and twinkle birds will come out soon. Those usually give us enough light for us to see at night."

The five monkeys looked at each other, each appearing a little unsure.

"Besides," the girl continued, "I'm getting kind of hungry now…and there are plenty of fish in the stream."

"Fish?" Sprx asked, sticking his tongue out slightly at the thought. "You wanna eat fish?"

"Sure! I mean, we could also gather some fruit from the trees in the forest…" She turned to Chiro. "But to be honest, fish is my favorite food. Especially the moon fish that can be caught at night…"

Blinking a little, the boy then smiled. "Well hey…How about I catch some fish for you then?"

Kalli smiled happily. "Really? That would great!"

"Uh, Chiro?" Otto asked as he tugged on the boy's white coat. "Have you ever even tried fishing before?"

"Um…well…no. But there's a first time for everything, right? Besides, how hard could it be?" He grinned a little and turned to the rest of the team. "Anyway, while I'm getting the fish, how about you guys head into the forest and pick some fruit?"

"There are also some bushes that should be blooming fruit at this time of year," Kalli offered, pointing in the direction beyond the hill. "Those are pretty good, too."

"As long as they're not bananas…" the red monkey said.

Before the boy could react to the hot shot's comment, the sorceress took his hand and quickly led him to the river. "C'mon, Chiro!" she said excitedly, laughing as they jogged towards the water.

"Hmm…" the mechanic said, looking at the little bird in his hands. "Do you like fish? Or fruit better?"

Ring blinked a little before chirping softly.

"Just try feeding it both," Gibson replied. "I'm sure it'll let you know." Turning, he then followed Sprx towards the forest area.

"I guess I could do that," Otto said to himself. With a small grin, he added, "I wanna try tasting everything anyway!"

Ring chirped happily and flapped her wings. With a short laugh, the green monkey then placed the bird back on his head before heading back towards the hill.

Just as she was about to head after the other, Nova paused when she noticed that Antauri had yet to move. He simply stood in one spot, staring intently up at the sky with a troubled look deep in his eyes. She frowned a little as she continued to watch him before clearing her throat loudly. "Hey Antauri?" she said.

He said nothing at first and simply continued to watch as colors began to streak the cloudless sky. Then, his cobalt eyes turned in her direction, silently answering her.

"You wanna come with me and Otto to get some food? I mean, I guess you don't have to…since you don't eat and all, but, um…if you wanna…"

"Actually," he responded, turning his eyes away from her again, "I think I would like to take some time to myself for the moment."

"Yeah…" she replied, nodding a little. "Okay…we'll be back later then."

She saw the silver monkey return the nod before heading off in a different direction. She remained there for a minute, watching him walk away before turning to proceed in the direction Otto had gone. She knew that the second-in-command had something on his mind, and he probably wanted to clear his head a little. Hopefully, she thought, he'd feel better when he returned.

* * *

It didn't take long after the sun had set completely for the bright full moon and the shimmering stars to appear against the black night sky. As they shed their light in the firmament above, they called the special creatures out to play and light the surface below. The trees were filled with the birds that rested there, gently singing their evening songs. As they chanted their special melody, their cream-colored feathers shone brightly through the leaves and branches. Their songs grew louder and more restless, and they began to flap their wings rapidly, seeming to cause the glow from their bodies to pulse and twinkle.

As the twinkle birds decorated the trees with their blinking lights, smaller sprinkles of light appeared on the buds of the sleeping flowers. Awakening from their own slumber, the small lightning bugs then ascended into the sky. The mass of glowing insects drifted through the air like stars that were close enough to catch. Even with the dark night pressing upon them, the light glimmering brightly around them was enough to be able to see.

But even though he was able to notice these things, Chiro was unable to observe the strange spectacle around him. He was still too occupied with trying to catch the pallid fish that swam right under him.

Kalli had showed him the way her people used to catch fish, and it was simple enough to do. After breaking off a thick branch from a tree and sharpening one end to a point, he would use his wooden spear to impale a fish. Then, sharpening the end again, he would repeat that process until he acquired the number of fish they needed in order to satisfy themselves.

And because he wanted to impress the sorceress, the young leader was willing to try catching the fish in the manner that she had showed him. But even after an hour of trying, he still had yet to yield results from his efforts.

Carefully watching the water as it flowed passed his legs, he focused his sights on a certain white fish that was curiously inspecting his foot. Aiming the tip of his spear, he quickly tried to jab at the animal. He missed, however, and it quickly swam away.

Kalli sat on the bank of the river, watching him as he tried again. As he thrust the wooden stick into the water this time, he misplaced his footing and fell into the river with a small splash. She blinked a little and got to her feet as she waited for him to resurface.

When he came out of the river, the girl tried her best to hide back a laugh. Water ran from his hair down to his face and dripped from his clothes. Covering her mouth with her hand, she giggled faintly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" the boy muttered, wringing the excess water from his orange scarf. "I've never fished before, okay? Gimme a break already…"

Calming herself down a little, Kalli then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she carefully stepped into the water. "You're trying too hard," she said softly. "You need to relax a little more…then you'll be able to anticipate the fish's movements and strike at it _before _it gets there."

He turned to look at her, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Smiling a little, she gently took the spear from him and held it in her hands. "Like this…" she said softly. Then she closed her eyes and stood there for a moment as the water continued to flow, pushing against her and vainly trying to dislodge her footing.

Chiro watched as a moon fish soon swam towards her feet, its body moving deftly through the current. Suddenly there was a splash as the wooden spear thrust through the water. Before he knew it, the girl held up the spear as the moon fish wriggled on the tip.

"Wow…!" he said, staring at the girl with wide sapphire eyes. The sight of the fish actually impaled on the stick made him a little less hungry, but he still wanted to try catching one himself.

Carefully removing the fish from the branch, the sorceress stepped out of the water and placed it on a large broad leaf they had removed from the tree where they had gotten their spear. Turning back to the boy, she then gracefully tossed the branch to him. "Now you try," she said.

Holding the spear lightly in his hands, Chiro watched the river course around his feet. Then he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, feeling the vibrations in the water. Suddenly he felt himself move, almost without even realizing it. As he pulled back the spear, he thought that it seemed heavier than before. He opened his eyes, and on the end of the branch was a fish that was trying to squirm itself free.

"Hey! I did it!" he exclaimed proudly, holding up the skewered fish up for the girl to see.

Kalli clapped happily. "Great job, Chiro!" she praised. Walking back into the water, she cautiously removed the animal from the branch and placed it with the other. "Now we just need to catch a few more before we're done."

The boy nodded slightly. "How many do you think we should catch?"

"Well…Sprx didn't seem too fond of the idea of eating fish…But I think we should catch seven moon fish anyway…One for each of us."

About to nod again, the young leader stopped and turned to look at her. "Oh…actually, I guess we'll just need to catch six fish…"

"What? How come?"

"Well…Antauri doesn't need to eat. And even if he did, he's a vegetarian, so I doubt he'd eat fish anyway, but still…."

"Wait…" Kalli turned to look at Chiro, surprise in her golden orbs. "Antauri doesn't eat?"

"No…see, it's because he's a robot…so he doesn't really need to."

"Oh…I see…" Playing with strands of her ebony hair again, she said softly, "Y'know…Antauri doesn't really like me too much."

His attention had once again been focused on the river. But as the words reached his ears, he looked at the girl once again. "What?"

"Antauri…he doesn't really like me."

Chiro frowned slightly. "Antauri? No way…"

"It's true. He said that he didn't really trust me, and so I asked him if he didn't like me."

"What did he say? Did he say he didn't?"

"No…but he never said he did either."

The teen boy thought for a moment, sticking the spear into the river ground and leaning on it for the time being. "That doesn't sound like, Antauri."

The girl shrugged a little. "I don't know. There's just…something about Antauri that…doesn't really feel right to me."

He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again as he watched the girl carefully. In normal circumstances, he would be quick to defend his mentor from any poor talk about him or anything that brought down his character, if it wasn't meant in a joking way. So why couldn't he bring himself to do the same with this girl?

But before he could provide himself with an answer, he was drawn out of his thoughts when he saw the sorceress turn slightly, stepping back into the water and slowly walking up to him. "But anyway, I'm sorry if I said anything that offended you," she said softly. "I mean, I know he's your teacher and all, and that you respect him."

"Um…it's okay…" he found himself saying. Even as he said it, though, he wondered if he really should think it was okay.

Smiling a little, Kalli gently took one of Chiro's hands into her own. "You know, Chiro…I never did get a chance to thank you properly for everything you've done for me."

He shrugged slightly, a careless grin appearing on his features. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "It's nothing really."

"Maybe to _you_," she said, placing her free hand to his chest. "But to _me_ it means everything. I mean, you freed me from an imprisoning orb, you allowed me to stay with you, you offered to help me find my people, and you're even letting me go back to your planet with you if no one's here…so I won't be all alone. You've done so much for me, Chiro…and I wish there was something I could do for you."

The teen leader blushed slightly at their closeness while he looked at her. Her eyes met his own as she gazed at him intently, and he felt that her golden depths were staring right through to his soul. The glow from the lightning bugs danced around them, catching on her face so he could see the kind and deep expression on her features. The moon's light reflected off the surface of the crystal water, and it seemed that the girl before him was lit with a pale radiance. He opened his mouth to say something, but found himself speechless once again.

Then, his eyes widened slightly when Kalli suddenly leaned forward, tenderly capturing his lips with her own.

_TBC_

Oooooh! Evil!

That's all for now, folks! Well, actually, I had originally made this chapter much longer. But I felt it was too long, and so I cut it in half. So now you guys will just have to wait until I post up the next chapter!

So please review, no flames if you can help it. And see you guys next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Lying was one of the hardest things for him to ever do.

Antauri was very used to withholding information until the moment came when he was asked to explain what he knew. At times, doing so was the best action to take when dealing with a young teenager who may not have been ready to hear such news. And if he was never asked to present the information, then he would have no real reason to talk of it. Such was the policy he went by, to not speak of things until he was required to. The instance concerning Mandarin, for example, he had kept from Chiro until the teen had asked him about it. He had put off telling the boy about it before because he felt Chiro wasn't ready. However, when Chiro had discovered the items that belonged to their former leader, he had proceeded to elucidate the entire matter without hesitation.

But what he was not comfortable with was concealing the information when he _was_ asked for it. He didn't like lying to the team. It wasn't right, nor did it sit right with him.

Still, he knew that it was necessary in this case. He had no choice but to lie to the others, telling them that he had not found anything. If he had told them the truth…he wasn't sure what would happen. He simply knew that it would not have been good…especially since Kalli would have then also known there was something in the cave where she had been found in.

Because after he had left the cave, as he was preparing to ignite the Brain Scrambler's engines, he had been overcome with a profound sensation. And while it held no menacing impression to it, it was overflowing with a warning that rippled through his mind. From the feeling he had received, he knew that he could never allow Kalli to know of his discovery in the mountain cave.

This of course was why he was forced to lie about finding the cloak and skeleton in the cave where she had been set free. Since she had been standing there when Chiro had asked, he couldn't tell them the truth.

Yet Antauri knew that he still couldn't tell any of the others about his discovery, even in confidence. They all seemed to trust Kalli, and they all held some sympathy towards her. If he was to inform them that he had indeed found something that could have been important to her, he feared that they would eventually tell her of what he had found. Then she would possibly find it, and…It was simply something he could not risk.

He was not entirely sure _why_ it was imperative that the sorceress never learn of the skeleton in the cave, but he trusted the feeling he had received earlier much more than he had ever trusted Kalli.

And that was another reason that he could never tell the others of what he had seen. The silver monkey knew that Chiro and all the others trusted the girl, and felt sympathy towards her unfortunate plight. He knew that they all _liked_ her. And he still had no reasons to justify his own aversion to her. If he had told any of them about the skeleton, they would have asked why he had kept the information a secret to begin with. He would have then had to explain his reasons for not revealing it, which of course was that he had a feeling that Kalli couldn't be trusted to know of it. And he feared from that the others would simply see him as paranoid and perhaps even a little callous towards her, and feel even more sympathy for her. Which would mean that in the end, they would tell her and he would simply be seen as untrustworthy.

Perhaps he had overanalyzed the entire situation. Surely not all of them would react that way, would they? There had to be someone he could trust to tell and keep his secret until he could uncover the truth.

But he couldn't take the chance. He knew that no matter what, Kalli could not learn of the information he knew…even if he did have to lie to the rest of the team.

He sighed softly, shaking his head a little. If any of them, even just _one _of them felt the same way towards the sorceress as he did, then he knew he'd be able to tell that one the truth. He hated lying to them all.

Unfortunately, they were all oblivious to the way the girl truly was. As he watched the others, he knew that they did not receive the same feeling that he did. They could not sense the true malicious gaze that remained hidden beneath the artificial warmth in her eyes, the smirk beneath the deceptively friendly smile, or the chill that seemed to freeze his entire soul whenever he took a simply glance at her.

He wondered if they were truly unaware of it…or if they were simply just numbed by her true self to the point where they couldn't even feel it at all.

In any case, he couldn't tell them the truth of his search because in the end, Kalli would also know the truth. No matter what, he had to make sure that she never learned of the skeleton that lay at the bottom of the mountain cave.

Glancing up, Antauri finally noticed the small insects that lit the area surrounding him. The night birds gently sang and twinkled in the trees, giving him the small opportunity to relax.

But just as he was about to accept their offer, he gasped when he felt as though something had cut through his soul. He staggered slightly, wincing and placing a hand to his chest while the spiritual wound within pulsed painfully, resonating through his entire being. He suddenly felt cold, and the bitter ice froze him and enlarged the tear in his soul. Wrapping his arms around himself in vain, he felt the terrible sensation that everything inside him was about to shatter.

The silver monkey collapsed to his knees, but just as he felt on the verge of breaking completely, the sensation had passed. He found himself breathing heavily, trying to regain his strength from the sudden ordeal he had just experience. Even though the severity of it all was gone, he still felt a dull ache from the scar in his heart, left behind by the chill that had wounded him.

And through it all, he knew that something was going on with Chiro.

Getting back onto his feet, Antauri turned and quickly headed back to where the others were.

* * *

"Urm…are you sure it's okay that we're watching this?" Otto asked as he held his tail while Ring sat perched on it.

"Indeed," Gibson said, standing farther behind Nova and Sprx as the two leaned against the side of the hill. "This is an invasion of his privacy, after all. We really shouldn't be spying on his personal affairs."

"It's so cute…!" Nova exclaimed softly as she wrung her hands and watched the two teens standing in the river. The statements from the other two had failed to reach her.

Sprx rolled his eyes slightly, though was a bit surprised by the golden monkey's reaction. Nova was a rough-rumble type of girl, which was bound to happen since she was surrounded by guys all day. He hadn't expected her to act all sappy over the scene.

Then again, she was still a girl. And even he had to admit that the picture before them was…interesting.

When the four of them had returned, Kalli had still been teaching Chiro how to fish. Their leader, as skilled as he was in combat and everything else he was forced to know because of his position in the Hyperforce, could not seem to catch a fish for his life. So, after advising them that the night sky would bring a chill, the sorceress had suggested that the four of them set up a small fire on the other side of the hill where the short grass grew. With the shorter blades and the lack of flowers on that side, she had stated, there would have been less of a chance for the fire to spread and therefore would have been safer and less damage to the earth would have been made.

So, after gathering loose twigs and branches that had fallen out of the trees in the forest, they had set up a small fire on the other side of the hill, behind where the robot stood. It also seemed to save time, since it was taking so long for Chiro to catch fish and they still needed to cook it.

Personally, the hot shot hadn't been too keen on the idea of eating fish. But the girl had reassured him that it would taste all right and that he would enjoy it. So he had waited for dinner along with the others.

And after a while of occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat, sitting and chatting with the others…occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat…hearing Otto entertain his new pet…occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat…complaining about how long it was taking to catch the final portion of their meal…and occasionally glancing at the fruit that lay waiting for them to eat, Sprx had decided to go see what was taking the two teens so long.

That was when he had come across the sight that they were all watching now.

He couldn't help but grin as he continued to watch Chiro and his…friend standing in the river…occupied with each other. The boy really seemed to be enjoying himself right now. More than he ever had while they were traveling through space. Of course, they were searching through the galaxies to battle an evil threat, and there was only so much one could enjoy doing that. Still, this was the most relaxed he had seen the teen in a long while. And he was happy for the teen that he was able to find something…or in this case, someone…who could help him unwind before they returned home.

Also…it was an interesting show to see.

"Really," he heard Gibson say behind him, "this sort of behavior is a violation of his trust in us! We really shouldn't be watching such an intimate moment!"

The red monkey sighed in annoyance. "First of all, Gibson," he retorted, "there is a thing called '_public_ displays of affection,' and if the two of them aren't trying to hide what they're doing, it's public. Secondly, they're just kissing. And finally, if you're so against this, why are you still _watching _it? We're not _forcing _you to be here, y'know…"

The chief of science huffed a little, folding his arms over his chest and turning to look away. But Sprx couldn't help but smirk, for he knew that the other was just embarrassed because he was just as intrigued as the rest of them were. Just as he was about to turn his attention back to the two teens, he saw Antauri hurrying over towards them.

"Hey, Antauri…" he said as the silver monkey came to stand beside him and Nova. "Where have you been?"

The second-in-command waved his hand slightly to dismiss the question. "Where's Chiro?" he asked.

The hot shot pointed in the direction where the two stood. "Over there. But I don't think you wanna disturb him at the moment."

As he looked to where the other was indicating, Antauri's cobalt eyes widened slightly at the sight.

"I gotta say, though," Sprx said, "the kid's good. But then again…I taught him all he knows about girls."

Snapping out of her sentimental trance, Nova looked at the other. "That _is_ impressive…" she retorted playfully. "Listening to you and _still _being able get along with them…Chiro's talented all right."

"Ha, ha, ha…" the hot shot replied sarcastically.

Otto sat behind the others and kept an eye on Ring while she hopped around in the grass. He had been uncomfortable watching Chiro and Kalli at the river, and soon moved in the back to avoid it all. Instead he had occupied himself to watching Ring observe her large surroundings, though he had to pull her away from being too close to the fire every once in a while. As he sat there, however, he was able to see all the others as they stood in front of him. And he was able to see the silver monkey who stood rather stiffly while he watched the two at the river. The mechanic frowned a little, for he had noticed that something seemed to be wrong with Antauri ever since he had arrived. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had noticed the other had walked rather strangely when he came over.

His eyes then widened slightly as he watched the other's fingers curled into taut fists. Scooping Ring into his hands, the green monkey quickly got to his feet. "Antauri?" he questioned softly. "Are you okay?"

The mechanic's comment was heard among the other three as well, and they all turned to face the silver monkey just as he quickly began to head for the river. Realizing just what he meant to do, Nova hastily reached out to stop him. In his rush, though, she was only able to grab his silver tail. But it was enough to prevent him from going any farther, and she held onto it tightly.

"What do you think you're _doing_?" Sprx demanded. "You can't just barge in on them like that!"

"Quite right!" Gibson agreed. "It's bad enough we're spying on them at all! What do you think Chiro would say if you tried to interrupt them?"

Antauri turned back to look at them, and they could all see the strange expression in his eyes. They weren't able to determine what it was…or why he wore such an expression in the first place.

Suddenly pulling his tail out of Nova's grasp, the silver monkey jumped up without warning. They barely caught a glimpse of the silver streak that landed on the Robot's foot before it headed inside and disappeared from their sights. The four exchanged confused and worried glances.

* * *

Chiro found that he had been holding his breath as the doors to Antauri's room slid open. Releasing the breath in a soft sigh, the teen then slowly approached the silver monkey. He was hovering in the air, sitting in his meditative position with his back facing him and the door. It was a common sight for him to see whenever he entered Antauri's room. But he wondered if the other was actually meditating.

After confessing of what they had been doing while he and Kalli were at the river, the other four had told him of the bizarre encounter that had taken place with them and Antauri before he had retreated to the interior of the Robot. And while they were more or less accustomed to Antauri's preference to remain silent unless he was required in some way to speak, the teen felt that they could at least have some kind of explanation for his actions.

Clearing his throat slightly, the young leader said softly, "Um…Antauri?"

There was silence, and the boy knew then that the other was really meditating. After a moment of waiting, the silver monkey finally replied without turning to look at him, "Yes? Did you need something?"

If Antauri was upset at all or embarrassed by his earlier actions, he did very well to hide it in his voice. Then again, he knew that the other was very good at keeping his emotions under control.

"Well, um…You missed dinner…It's okay, I guess, since you don't eat, but you usually sit and talk with us anyway, so um…"

"I just needed to sort some things out, that's all."

Chiro rubbed the back of his head slightly, frowning as he stared at the silver monkey's back. Even if the other hid it in his voice, even if the other wasn't facing him, he knew that something was wrong with his friend. Mostly because of the fact that Antauri _wasn't _facing him while they were talking.

And he knew he wouldn't get anything by beating around the bush. So he decided to just go for it.

"So, um…did you happen to see what was going on…with me and Kalli?"

He watched as Antauri dropped his meditative pose and finally turned to face him. His cobalt eyes remained impassive as his voice was, but for some reason that made the teen feel a little nervous. "I did," the silver monkey finally replied, keeping his tone even and his expression hard to read.

Chuckling a little to break the tension around them, the teen grinned a bit. "Yeah…I guess everyone did. But for the record…Kalli kissed me first."

The robotic simian folded his arms across his chest as his feet touched the ground. "I see…but of course, you did nothing to stop her, correct?"

"Um…no, I guess not," Chiro answered, frowning a little in confusion.

Antauri nodded a little, but the other's eyes never broke contact with his own. "So what then? Do you really trust her that much? Do you really _like_ her that much that you don't mind getting so close to her this way?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," the boy replied honestly. He felt his body tighten slightly because he didn't like how the conversation was fairing at the moment. "Why is that such a problem to you? Is it because you don't like Kalli?"

The silver monkey frowned slightly. "Where did you hear that?"

"Kalli told me. She said that she heard you saying that you didn't trust her, and that you never answered whether you liked her or not. But is it true? Do you really hate Kalli?"

"How _I_ feel towards her is not the issue here," the simian replied firmly. "What is important is how _you_ feel about her."

"Well I really like her!" Chiro all but shouted at the other defensively. "And so what if we kissed? So what! Why do you think that's such a _bad_ thing?"

Antauri dropped his arms to his sides as he calmly met Chiro's eyes. Even though the teen was angry, the silver monkey seemed to remain inexpressive. Finally, he replied in a soft but rigid tone, "Because…of Jinmay."

And the teen felt as though something clicked in his mind for the first time. He somehow had forgotten all about Jinmay…ever since he had first heard Kalli's voice calling out to him in his dreams, he had somehow failed to remember the robotic girl that was back on Shuggazoom.

"She's still waiting for us, Chiro," Antauri said, his voice just above a whisper. "She's been waiting for us to return all this time. She's been waiting…for you. And she still cares about you. Don't you care about her as well?"

Biting his tongue slightly, the young leader was the one to finally break eye contact to stare at the ground. Several thousands of words ran through his mind as he tried to think of a way to reply to the other. Finally, after what felt like hours had passed, he replied, "Jinmay's…just a friend."

Antauri shook his head slightly. "I find that a little difficult to believe after all the things you two have been through together."

"Well, it's true," the boy said tenaciously. Placing a hand to his lips, he then added faintly, "Jinmay's…never kissed me like that before…"

"You can't base an entire relationship on something like that."

With an exaggerated sigh, Chiro threw out his arms to the side. "It doesn't matter anyway. Jinmay and I could never have a relationship like that…since she's a robot."

The simian's cobalt eyes widened slightly as he stared at the teen. "What…does that have to do with anything? The fact that she's a robot never changed how you felt for her before."

The boy simply shrugged a little. "It just wouldn't work out. Anyway, I really like Kalli…even if _you_ don't."

"Chiro…" the silver monkey began.

But the teen held up his hand to cut the other off. Looking up at him with dark sapphire eyes, he said, "Anyway, since Kalli doesn't have a room here on the Robot, and since her people used to sleep under the stars anyway, the others and I talked about it and decided that all of us would sleep outside tonight. It'd make Kalli feel a little more relaxed, and we wouldn't have to worry about sleeping arrangements or whatever. So we'll be sleeping out there. If you wanna do the same, then fine. But if you don't…whatever. Just do what you want."

Antauri watched as Chiro then turned and hurriedly walked out of the room. As the doors slid closed behind the teen, he sighed heavily and placed a hand to his chest. The dull pain he had felt early had returned, rippling through his entire being.

He was running out of time. He had to find out what was happening…before it was too late.

_TBC_

I kind of like not having any author's notes in the beginning. I'm not sure why, but I do.

I feel as though I made Chiro slightly OOC here. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that it's just the beginning of his OOC-ness, and it will only gradually worsen as the chapters progress. However, there is a good reason for why I'm doing it, and it will all make sense (I hope) in a future chapter. Until then, just keep an open mind.

Anyway, this is my last chapter to post up before I start classes next week. As such, I unfortunately won't be able to update this story as much as I like. However, I do plan to continue writing for this, and I promise to update as quickly as I possibly can.

Please review, and no flames if it can be helped. And I'll see you next time (providing my classes won't kill me).


	7. Chapter 7

I'm surprised that I have this up so soon, especially with my classes scheduled the way they are. When did I get all the time to write this stuff? Anyway, even though I've rather liked having no author's notes in the beginning of the chapters, I do have some warnings that I wanted to put up before you all read this.

**Warning 1: **This chapter is kind of long. I hadn't intended to make it this long, but I couldn't find any good place to cut off for the next chapter. I apologize if the length is a problem for anyone.

**Warning 2: **I make a slight, quick reference to another story of mine regarding Antauri's sense of touch. But quick as it is, it's still there. If you'd like to understand more about it, the story "Void" is where the rest of that can be found. However, I'm pretty sure the story can stand without it. I just thought I'd mention it in case it became a little confusing. "Void" is just where I go into more detail about it, that's all.

_The next warnings are the really important ones._

**Warning 3: **There is a good deal of OOCness in this chapter, and I apologize in advance for it. However, it unfortunately was necessary, and I promise that it's not just random "I'm changing their personalities because I feel like it." There's really a reason for the strange behavior, and that will play into later chapters. But I just thought I'd give you all fair warning. Hopefully, you'll still continue reading the story.

**Warning 4: **I advise you all to be _very careful_ when reading this chapter. Not everything is as it seems. Certain things that are looked upon here _may or may not be _the case for the story as a whole, and I'll leave it up to you to try and determine what I mean and why I would bother mentioning this.

Anyway, that's all for now. On with the story!

* * *

The first thing that he heard as he slowly returned to the waking world was the needy chirping that called for his attention. Rubbing his eyes, Otto then slowly lifted his head to see Ring sitting on his chest. Seeing that he was finally awake, the mong bird chirped a little louder and flapped her wings happily. She then hopped off and landed in the grass as the green monkey slowly sat up and stretched his arms.

Watching him for a while, Ring then chirped and flapped her wings again to get the monkey to notice her. Looking at the chick, he smiled and carefully scooped her into his hands.

In the five days since they had arrived on Verdane and he found the baby bird, he had noticed just how much she had grown. When Ring had first hatched, she had been about the size of a mouse and was able to fit in the middle of one hand. But after just four days, the mong had become as big as one of Chiro's Sun Rider action figures. Even though she could still fit in one hand, he was afraid that she would fall if he didn't hold her with both hands.

He wondered how large mong birds grew when they fully matured. Kalli had told him that mongs were ready to leave the nest three to four weeks after they hatched, and he wanted to see how much she grew until then.

But he didn't mind waiting that long. He was afraid that once she was fully grown and ready to leave, she wouldn't want to stay with him anymore. And even though he'd like to keep her, he knew that he'd let her go if she wanted to go because, even though he had found her as an egg, Ring technically didn't belong to him. And even though he really wished he could, he knew that he couldn't take the mong with them to Shuggazoom, because this was her home planet. Letting her go would be the right thing for him to do when the time came.

Until then, however, he enjoyed taking care of the baby bird. Even if it meant that she would wake him up earlier than the others.

Looking around, Otto saw that everyone else still remained asleep, just like they had been every other morning for the past four days. And also just like every other morning for the past four days, the fire that they had made to keep them warm through the night continued to burn just as strong as it had when they all had fallen asleep.

The mechanic sighed softly as his large eyes turned to look at the Super Robot. Even though he couldn't see, he knew that Antauri was once again meditating on the Robot's foot. That was where he remained every night while the rest of them slept behind the machinder. Though he technically slept outside like they all did, the other stayed on the Robot's foot instead of joining them around the fire.

Ever since the first night, after his argument with Chiro, the silver monkey had become strangely distant from the rest of them and spent most of the time sitting alone. He was usually still around, and they always saw him close by unless he went to take a walk and think (which was becoming more frequent now), but they could all feel that he was far more withdrawn than he had ever been before. Even when all seven of them were together talking, Antauri seemed to stand outside and away from them all, closed up in himself unless he was spoken to.

The green monkey knew it had something to do with the argument that went on between Antauri and Chiro. They all did. But none of them knew what really happened because they both refused to talk about it. When Chiro had come out of the Robot after speaking with Antauri that first day, they could all see how angry he seemed, and he refused to answer their questions about what happened. The second-in-command was the same way when he had come out of the robot several minutes after the teen. Even to each other, the two refused speak of the incident, and any conversation they had (if any) somehow managed to avoid the subject entirely.

They all could sense, though, that Chiro may have felt a little guilty about the argument. After a while, he tried to include Antauri more in their conversations and activities. But it was more difficult to determine how the silver monkey felt about it, especially since he continued to draw away from them.

Otto couldn't understand any of it. He didn't know why the other was trying to isolate himself from them all, especially since he obviously still cared about what they did and what happened to them. Late one night, he had woken to see Antauri adding more wood to the fire to prevent it from going out and leaving them cold under the dark night sky. But before he could say a word, Antauri disappeared.

He wondered if any of the others knew that it was Antauri who kept the fire alive at night to keep them all warm. If they did, they never said anything about it. He himself never even mentioned it, nor had Antauri.

Something was definitely wrong about the entire situation. Otto could feel as though something was…different than before, and it wasn't supposed to be. Even though Antauri had always been a little reserved before, they knew that he was always there for them no matter what. They knew they could count on him. After all, he was always there when they needed his help, and guided them when they were in trouble. He always seemed to know what to say and when to say it, and Otto didn't know where they would be without him.

But ever since the argument with Chiro, it seemed as though Antauri had changed somehow, and that he was hiding something. He felt – and wondered if the others felt this way too – as though he was standing still, fixed in one spot as Antauri slowly walked away from him. He felt as though all he could see was the back of the silver monkey, and that the other was beginning to disappear from his sight. And he was afraid that if something wasn't done soon, there would be too much space between Antauri and him – and the rest of them – to ever reach him again. He was afraid…of losing a member of their family.

Wasn't there any way to fix this?

A soft peep brought him out of his thoughts, and the green monkey looked down at the bird in his hands. Ring looked at him curiously before chirping again, and he knew she meant that she was hungry.

He smiled a little and gently stroked her ebony feathers. The time he had spent with the mong had helped him understand her and how she felt, especially since she still couldn't change colors yet. He had managed to notice little clues in her behavior to help him know what she was feeling or what might have been going on through her mind. By taking care of her as much as he had, he was able to tell when she was happy, sad, angry, upset, or in this case, hungry.

But he hesitated a little, not wanting to get food for her just yet. He liked to wait until one of the others was awake before going to find something for her to eat. He made the mistake of taking Ring with him and Nova the first night when they were looking for food and had nearly lost her to a larger bird of prey. Since then, Otto preferred to leave her with one of the others until he returned with food for her.

Luckily he watched as Kalli began to stir slightly, rubbing her eyes before slowly sitting up and stretching her body. Grinning a little, the green monkey got to his feet. Since he really needed to find some bugs for Ring (her favorite food of choice), he decided to ask the sorceress if she would take care of the bird until he got back. Even though he had noticed that the girl didn't seem to interact with the bird as much as Chiro and the others did, he hoped that she wouldn't mind watching over Ring. Besides, Antauri didn't spend a lot of time with the chick either.

As he walked over, Kalli looked up at him and smiled a little. "Good morning Otto," she said gently.

"Morning Kalli!" he replied softly so he wouldn't wake the others. "Do ya think you could do me a favor?"

"Sure Otto. What is it?"

The mechanic held up the mong. "Could you please watch over Ring while I get food for her?"

Her smile faded a bit as her golden eyes glanced at the bird. "Oh…I don't know, Otto…"

"Please Kalli? I really need to get her some food, but I don't wanna take her with me. I promise I'll be really quick!"

"I don't know…She may not like strangers taking care of her…"

Otto shook his head slightly. "You're not a stranger," he answered, petting Ring on the head. "Besides, she didn't mind when I left her with Nova, Gibson, or Sprx…though she did get a little sad…" He paused for a moment. "Well, she didn't mind _too _much." A small pout then appeared on his features as he helped up the bird again. "Pretty, pretty please?"

Kalli frowned a little, playing with her hands as she looked at the green monkey and the mong bird. After a moment, she finally replied hesitantly, "Well…I guess so…"

Otto grinned again. "Thanks Kalli!" he said happily. Then he carefully placed Ring in the girl's hands.

But as soon as the bird left his hands and was placed in the girl's, Ring let out a deafening shrill that echoed all through the fields and jarred the others from their slumbers. The bird thrashed about, tossing its head as she viciously tried to peck at the sorceress's hands.

The others, now fully awake, shot up and quickly covered their ears. "What's going on?" Nova asked, forced to shout in order to be heard over the bird's piercing wail.

"I dunno!" the mechanic answered, covering his own ears as well. "Ring just started freaking out!"

"Well, DO something about it!" Sprx retorted.

Continuing to struggle in the girl's hands, Ring finally successfully managed to leave a small cut on Kalli's finger. Surprised, she opened her hands and dropped the mong, who flapped her wings and slowly fluttered to the ground. But Ring still continued the loud panicked screeching that tore through their ears and seemed to rattle their minds.

Finally Otto knelt down and scooped the bird into his arms, holding her close and gently stroking her feathers to calm her down. Soon her struggles ceased and her anxious cry quieted into soft chirps as she nuzzled comfortably into the green monkey's torso.

Hesitantly, the others lowered their hands, looking at the mechanic in confusion. "What was _that _all about?" Gibson asked.

"I dunno," Otto replied, continuing to stroke Ring's ebony feathers. "She's never done that before…I was just trying to give her to Kalli so I could go get some food for her."

"I probably must have scared her a little," the sorceress said, rubbing her finger. "It's not her fault…"

Noticing her actions, Chiro approached her and gently took her hand in his. "You're bleeding…" he said softly, a concerned expression in his sapphire eyes.

"It's just a small cut, Chiro," the girl replied, smiling in reassurance. "I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, of course I'm sure. You worry too much."

"If you say so." Turning to look at Otto, the boy said, "Just be more careful with Ring, okay Otto?"

The green monkey nodded slightly. "Okay. Sorry about that, Kalli."

She shook her head slightly. "It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

"Anyway," the teen leader said, "how about I look after Ring for you while you get some food for her?"

The mechanic grinned. "Okay! Thanks Chiro!"

"No problem," the boy replied. He hesitated a little, however, as the green monkey slowly placed the bird in his hands. As they all watched, they held their breaths in anticipation as Otto slowly pulled away from the mong.

Ring blinked a little, looking from Chiro to Otto. Though she didn't cry again, she chirped unhappily and looked as though she wanted to go back to Otto.

"Don't worry, Ring," he said softly. "I'll be back soon. You be good for Chiro while I'm gone, okay?"

The mong cheeped once, as though giving the mechanic an affirmative answer.

Smiling, the green monkey then looked at the leader. "I'll try to get back as soon as I can."

"Okay," Chiro responded.

Satisfied that the teen would take good care of the chick, Otto turned and headed towards the forest area. He knew that he'd find plenty of bugs for Ring to eat there. As he began his trek, though, he noticed that Antauri was standing next to the hill, once again away from the group and watching them all with curious cobalt eyes.

Thinking quickly, Otto headed over to where the silver monkey stood, wanting to have some kind of conversation with the other. "Morning Antauri!" he said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Otto," the second-in-command replied softly. "What was it that was happening earlier?"

"Huh?" Following the other's gaze, he turned and watched as Chiro began to play with the chick. "Oh that…See, I was trying to give Ring to Kalli so I can get food for her. But for some reason, Ring didn't like that."

Antauri blinked a little. "She didn't?"

The mechanic shook his head slightly. "Not really. Actually, she didn't like it all. When I placed her in Kalli's hands, she got really upset all of a sudden and started crying…Weird, huh?"

Glancing at the young sorceress, the silver monkey replied thoughtfully, "That _is_ rather strange…"

"Yeah…Anyway, I better go and get some food for Ring before she gets any hungrier."

"I suppose you should go take care of that."

Nodding a little, the green monkey turned to head towards the forest again. However, he paused and looked back at the other. "Antauri?"

Once again tearing his focus away from the girl, the robotic simian turned to his brother. "Yes Otto?"

"Are you…okay?"

Frowning a little, Antauri gave a small nod. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I…dunno," Otto replied, shrugging slightly. "I guess I thought you looked…tired for some reason."

His frowned deepened as he watched the green monkey leave to find food for Ring. Placing his hand to his chest, he sighed softly. Was it beginning to become that noticeable?

Shaking his head slightly, he suppressed the matter and once again turned his attention to the girl. Even from where he stood he could see the darkness in her golden eyes as she examined the cut on her finger. She then quickly glanced at the bird sitting on Chiro's shoulder before turning to the boy to speak with him, a pleasant smile was on her lips, and the dark look in her eyes was gone.

But he felt that she was up to something. As she continued to deceive them all with her artificial kindness and her feigned innocence, he knew that she intended to do something. _What_ she was planning to do, he wasn't sure. He would keep a close eye on her, though, to find out what her true motivations were.

* * *

"So what exactly are we doing today?" Sprx asked as he finished up the last of his breakfast. "Are we still looking around the planet for Kalli's people?"

"Of course we are," Chiro replied, brushing any stray crumbs off his gloves. "We have to make sure we check everywhere we can. As much of this planet we've seen already these past few days, there's still so much more that we haven't looked at yet."

"But who knows how long that would take?" Nova commented. "It could take us weeks to search the entire planet."

"We have to try though. Kalli's counting on us, and we have to help in any way we can."

"I don't mind looking around," Otto pipe in. "I kinda like exploring the planet."

"Yes, but _Ring _doesn't really share your sentiments," Gibson rejoined.

Chiro blinked a little. "What do you mean?"

Frowning a little, the green monkey looked at the bird as she sat perched on his tail. "Well, Ring doesn't really like flying around in Gibson's ship. She gets kinda scared."

"It happens the same way _every_ time," the chief of science stated in mild annoyance. "Just as we're about to take off, she begins to chirp frantically…"

"Like this morning?" the red monkey quipped.

"Well, not _quite_ like that…I'd say what happened this morning was more _hysterical_ than _frantic_…"

Nova shook her head slightly. "You were saying, Gibson?"

The blue monkey turned to her. "What? Oh, right. As I was saying, she begins to chirp frantically and beat her wings vigorously."

"Maybe she's just trying to fly," Otto said, stroking the bird's feathers gently.

The hot shot gave a small laugh. "Or maybe she's just trying to hit Gibson's head."

"Well, she _succeeds_, I can tell you that. But the worst part is when we're in the air and she starts hopping about the ship and jumbling with the controls."

"She's just nervous," the mechanic defended softly. "Flying on the ship makes her uncomfortable…"

Gibson let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "I understand that, Otto, but you need to have better control over her. I get rather anxious that she may damage the controls somehow."

Kalli, who had been washing up at the river for the first part of the conversation, slowly approached the teen leader. "Hey Chiro," she said softly. "Why don't you take care of Ring for a while?"

He turned to look at her. "What?"

She smiled a little. "While the others are gone, you can watch over Ring until Otto gets back. That way it'll be easier on Gibson."

Chiro and Otto looked at each other. "I dunno…" the green monkey replied softly. "I've never been away from her for that long before."

"It'd be good for her," the girl answered. "As the chicks get older, the parent mongs spend less time with them. Even though it's only been four days, it's never too early to start. Besides we won't be going very far today. Chiro said that he was going to show me around the Super Robot."

The boy looked at her. "Really? You finally wanna?"

Smiling, the sorceress nodded. "Sure."

Thinking it over for a moment, Otto then grinned. "Well, okay. Besides, Ring kinda liked when I left her with you before, Chiro. I'm sure she won't mind if you looked after her again for a few hours. Just be sure to feed her when she gets hungry."

"Okay," the leader replied, gently taking the mong into his hands. "She eats…bugs, right?"

"Yeah, but they're not hard to catch. In the forest, there are a lot of bugs in the tree trunks."

"All right. Anyway you guys had better get going if you're gonna cover a lot of ground before it gets dark."

The monkeys nodded slightly and began heading for the Robot. As they were going, however, the teen finally noticed that Antauri stood among them. Even though he had said nothing, the silver monkey had listened to the entire conversation, awaiting and obeying instructions as he gave them.

When the robotic simian began to leave with the others, Chiro hesitated slightly before putting Ring on his shoulder. "Antauri?" he called.

Pausing for the moment, the second-in-command turned to look at the boy. "Yes Chiro?" he responded quietly.

"Uh…" The teen rubbed the back of his neck, not really sure of what he wanted to say. Ever since the night of their argument, things had become strange between them. He found it difficult to speak to the other now when he had no problems before. He felt as though a barrier had forced its way between them, and he wasn't sure where to start breaking it down.

Biting his tongue a little, he quickly thought of something to say. "I…um…I hope you find something today."

Antauri blinked a little, slightly bemused. "I…hope to find something today as well," he uttered softly. With that, he turned and headed to the robot.

Once the silver monkey was gone, Chiro sighed and slapped his forehead with his palm. "Well _that _went well…" he muttered sarcastically.

"What did?" Kalli asked as she gently took his hand.

"I was…I was just trying to talk with Antauri." He shook his head a little. "Why is it so hard to apologize?"

The girl frowned slightly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "It shouldn't be hard to apologize to someone you care about. But then again, Antauri hasn't apologized to you either."

"I know…but it was kinda my fault for yelling at him first."

"He still upset you, though, didn't he? He should at least apologize for that."

The boy frowned. "I guess so…"

"Anyway," she said, gently tugging on the boy's arm, "c'mon. I wanna see what the robot is like."

"Well…" Chiro then smiled. "Okay. Let's go."

* * *

Sprx sighed softly as he sat on top of the Fist Rocket, staring out at the surroundings. He and Nova were taking a break from flying (something they did quite often), and his companion had wandered off somewhere to stretch her legs. He hadn't felt much for a walk, so he decided to remain behind and wait for her as he thought over the past few days.

He had never worried before…about their strength as a team. That was really the one thing he thought would never change. It was true that at times he had doubted certain members in certain situations. But to his relief, everything always worked out. Never had he thought, though, that anything like this would happen to them.

Especially when it came to Chiro and Antauri. Ever since the kid joined the team, the two of them had been so close. Never in his life could he have imagined that such an event would cause such a rift between them.

He knew that the reason for the change in their relationship was because of the argument they had had a few days ago. But what he couldn't figure out was _why_ they had had the argument to begin with. The two have had a few disagreements occasionally – even two with such a close bond as Antauri and Chiro were bound to share a quarrel or two – but never had they had anything that prevented them from speaking to each other.

And what Sprx really found strange was that Antauri had begun to close himself off to the rest of them. It was bad enough that the second-in-command spoke less to Chiro than he used to. But why was he doing the same to them? They hadn't even been involved in the argument at all. What was Antauri trying to do by detaching himself this way?

What was the _real_ reason for Antauri's sudden change in behavior?

The red monkey grumbled softly and placed a hand to his head. No matter how much or how hard he thought over the matter, he couldn't come up with any way to explain what was happening. And without knowing exactly what was wrong, there could be no way to figure out how to fix it.

He glanced up when a mass of grey and yellow caught his eye, and he jumped off his ship and landed in the soft grass below as Nova appeared and approached the rocket.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"I guess so…" she replied softly.

Watching her for another moment, Sprx frowned. He could see that look in her eyes again. The strange uncertainty that she had gotten before, the first time they had arrived on this planet and looked for any trace of Kalli's people days ago…the same look that appeared on her features every so often when she returned from thinking on her own or when she thought he wouldn't notice.

But he had been aware of it every time. And while he normally avoided asking about it, he decided that he didn't want to do so this time.

"So…wanna tell me what's up?" he asked softly.

Looking at him curiously, she tilted her head ever so slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since day one, you've had that look on your face that makes me think there's something on your mind that you're not telling me. You've had some time to think it over. Now…do you wanna talk about it?"

He prepared himself for any resistance she would have to answering his question, with his own persistence to continue asking her until she folded. However, he didn't expect what she did next.

Sighing softly, the yellow monkey looked down at the ground. "When we first came here, I felt really happy because it was…nice here. And it just felt so peaceful."

"Yeah…" he agreed. "I think we all were really excited about finding this place."

"All of us except Antauri."

He blinked a little. "What?"

"When we were waiting for Chiro, I talked to Antauri about this place. And he said that even though everything _looked_ peaceful, he felt there was something more to it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He…it was like he felt something wrong with this place. Like something bad happened here, y'know?"

Sprx shook his head. "Can't we go _anywhere_ without this kind of thing happening to us?"

"Seriously though, Sprx. When Kalli was telling us her story about what happened to her, I couldn't help but think about what Antauri said."

"So…" the red monkey said slowly, "you think that what Antauri felt was everything that happened to Kalli and her people before?"

"Well yeah. I mean what else could it be? But if something really bad happened to this planet, why haven't we been able to find evidence of it?"

The hot shot paused for a moment as his mind searched for a way to answer her. "We don't know how much time has passed between the time Kalli remembered and now," he finally said. "Maybe…the planet just took care of itself."

"Maybe…but if that was true, it wouldn't be too hard to find any trace of Kalli's people, should it? I mean, we've been looking everywhere. If the planet naturally took care of them all, it should be easier to find _something_ of them."

"So what are you saying, Nova? You think that something else is happening? You think…something is trying to keep us from finding them?"

"I…" She exhaled heavily, folding her arms over her torso. "I don't know, Sprx," she answered honestly. "Maybe it's not _preventing_ us from finding anything…whatever it is. Maybe it's….just _responsible_ for what's happening now."

Frowning a little, Sprx looked at her. "You mean us not being able to find Kalli's people?"

"That…" the yellow monkey said hesitantly, "and…what's happening to Chiro and Antauri…"

Whatever he had been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. Opening his mouth to respond, he shut it again when he realized that he didn't know what to say to her. So instead, he remained silent and waited for her to explain what she meant.

"See, Kalli was telling us about how the sorcerer who had been trying to teach her – an outsider to this planet – ended up destroying her village and attacking her people. But that doesn't mean that he was always like that. What if he just became like that by coming here?"

"But why? Why would he suddenly do something like that if he wasn't that way before?"

"I don't know…because of this place…this planet." She lifted her gaze to look at him. "When we first arrived here, didn't we feel something strange about this place? Didn't we feel…in a way that we never have before?"

Hesitating slightly, Sprx then nodded. It was true about what she was saying, and he knew it. Just being on that planet made him feel…inexplicably different…and look at his surroundings in a way he never would have before. He felt more relaxed and at ease than he ever had, and he had assumed that it was just something about the planet that made him feel that way. It was a feeling that he never wanted to let go.

But he was beginning to understand what Nova was saying. After all, if the planet could change someone for the better, couldn't it also change someone for the worse? Even if that someone…was Antauri?

"What if…" he heard the other say softly, "this place really _does _change people? Almost like…a way to defend itself from outsiders. What if we're not really supposed to be here…?"

"So what…? Are you saying that it's _our _fault for everything that's happened to them just by coming here?"

Closing her eyes, Nova nodded. "Yeah…I guess I am."

Sighing softly, the red monkey thought for a moment, hoping to come up with any way to comfort her. Carefully, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Okay, so maybe this planet _can _change people…But that's not _really_ our fault. We didn't know. Besides, Chiro wanted to come here. And if we hadn't, Kalli would still be stuck in that orb."

Opening her eyes, she looked at him again. "I know…but what if this change is permanent? What if things never become the same way again?"

"Well…unfortunately, if that happens, there's nothing we can really do about it. All we'll be able to do is go on the best we can with whatever happens. But really…I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Nova frowned as she stared at him. "Why's that?"

"Because…it's Chiro and Antauri. If there were any two who could get through something like this, I'm pretty sure it's them."

"You think so?" she asked, turning to face him completely.

He nodded. "Yeah. And for now, we'll try to help them get through this. The rest, though, is really up to them. But in any case, worrying about it really won't help at all."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." She paused a moment before letting out a small laugh. "Wow…_that's_ new."

"Hey!" Sprx protested. "I have my moments!"

Nova laughed again. "However rare those are."

He stuck out his tongue at her. "Let's just go," he said, pouting slightly.

As they were about to get into the Fist Rocket, however, they heard the familiar signal of an incoming transmission within both their communication systems. Exchanging curious glances, they activated their ear receivers which expanded to accept the transmission.

"Nova, Sprx!" they heard Chiro say urgently. "You guys gotta come back and help me!"

"With what?" the yellow monkey asked. "Is everything okay?"

"NO!" the boy replied quickly. "I'm in _big_ trouble!"

"Why? What did you do?"

"I…I-I lost Ring!"

"You WHAT!" they both exclaimed.

"You _lost _her?" Sprx repeated. "How could you _lose_ her?"

"I don't know!" the leader said remorsefully. "I was just showing Kalli around the robot…then I showed her how to use the computer and Ring got hungry. So we went back outside, and then Ring was gone! I asked Gibson to keep Otto busy for awhile, but we don't know how long he can do that before Otto wants to come back for Ring. You guys gotta help me find her!"

"Okay Chiro," Nova said, wanting to calm the boy down. "We'll come back and help you look for her."

"Okay. Thanks guys…"

With a small sigh from them both, they ended the transmission and their ear antenna returned to normal. Then without another word, they hurried into the Fist Rocket.

* * *

When he had returned, he had expected the Super Robot to be empty. It usually was upon his arrival, and even though he had heard Kalli wanted to look around inside, he had felt that she would want to return outside quickly enough. However, he hadn't expected the rather large mess he was staring at to be there and greet him.

But when Antauri walked into the main room, that was exactly what he found. Panels from the walls lay on the floor, tossed aside along with cords and cables that he suspected were supposed to be attached inside. More cords and cables, even a spring or two, hung out from the openings in the walls, emitting a spark of electricity every few seconds.

Even the entryway to Gibson's lab had been opened, and he could see pieces of equipment were turned over or knocked down, leaving an open clutter in the blue monkey's area to be seen by all. Luckily no chemicals had been spilled, but Antauri was certain that the chief of science would still be displeased with the state of his workplace.

And as he stared at the mess, he frowned deeply while trying to determine why the interior of the Robot was left in shambles. Since Chiro and Kalli were most likely the last ones to be in the Robot, were they the ones responsible for this messy condition? Perhaps not Chiro, for he knew that the teen respected the Robot and treated it as his home, just as they all did. The same could not, however, be said for Kalli. Then again, what possible reason would she have to doing something like this? It really made little sense, and he wasn't sure how to come about with an answer.

Hesitating slightly, the robotic simian then carefully stepped over the parts that lay strewn on the floor and made his way towards Gibson's lab. Even with all the time he had spent in the Super Robot, he wasn't as familiar with its internal structure as Gibson or Otto. He understood the basic materials and knew enough to _help_ fix the machinder in case of the need to repair, but on his own he would have more difficulty. So rather than attempting to mend the interior himself and risk further damage to the Super Robot, he decided to wait for the two who were most capable to return and be there to assist them instead.

In the meantime, he decided to try and fix the mess left in the lab. At least by returning any disrupted objects to their upright positions. It would be up to the blue monkey, though, to place them in their proper places, since he wasn't sure where everything was supposed to go and didn't want to further upset the order of the lab.

As he finally reached the room, he carefully surveyed the damage that had been done. Nothing appeared to be too broken that couldn't be fixed, at least he hoped. But he knew that it wasn't up to him to make that judgment. Closing his eyes, he began to focus his mind on a table that had been turned onto its side in order to stand it up again.

_Chirp chirp…_

His eyes blinked open again as the faint sound reached his ears.

_Chirp chirp_…

For some reason, that sounded strangely familiar to him.

_Chirp chirp_…

Looking around quickly, the silver monkey then turned and focused his attention towards the main computer. Frowning slightly, he swiftly walked to the consol and placed his hand on the switchboard.

_Chirp chirp…_

He could feel the slight vibrations that came from within the computer consol. Slightly startled, he pulled back and carefully inspected the panel. Near the bottom, close to the floor, Antauri discovered a rather tiny hole, almost unnoticeable at first glance. But upon further investigation, he noticed that the small hole was connected to two large cracks in the metal surface. As he followed the cracks, he noticed that they created a larger circular rift in the consol. Cautiously fingering the little hole, he pushed it inwards, causing the round metal piece to pop out easily.

He blinked slightly, looking at the opening. It was bigger than he had thought it would be. It appeared to be large enough for two hands to be able to fit through the gap. And while the section he had just removed hid the space rather well, it had come out with no trouble at all. Almost as if it had come out before.

Shaking his head slightly, Antauri then crouched down and slowly inserted his hands into the hole in the computer's consol. Closing his eyes, he sighed softly and concentrated as he carefully felt around. The limitations on the sense of touch for the silver monkey's body made the task a little more difficult for him, but the ability of foresight replaced what he lacked. After about a minute or so, he finally retracted his hands, carefully holding Ring as he did so.

Blinking slightly, the mong bird looked up at the simian and chirped hoarsely.

Looking at the chick for a moment, the silver monkey then turned to look at the mess that still lay behind him. "Is that what's happened here?" he asked softly, looking at the bird again. "Is the reason for this mess because Chiro had lost you and had been trying to find you?"

Ring simply chirped once, though it sounded rather tired and doleful.

Frowning deeply, he carefully placed the mong on the computer panel. "I better call Chiro," he said, placing a hand to one of his ear antenna. "He must be worried about you."

As his ear antenna expanded, he tried to pick up the teen's communication signal. "Antauri to Chiro," he said, sending out the message to locate the other. "Antauri to Chiro…Come in Chiro…"

Suddenly, all he could hear was a high-pitched screeching that reverberated throughout his systems and rattled his circuits. "Gaah…!" Quickly he interrupted the transmission, cutting off the piercing sound. As he shook his head to dispel the lingering echo of the feedback, he glanced up at the computer when an error message appeared on the screen.

He blinked in confusion and frowned, his cobalt eyes focused on the monitor. "What…?" he muttered. Pressing a button, he watched as several icons appeared. On the left-hand side was an icon of himself positioned beside a white arrow with a large red X crossed through it. On the other side of the arrow were icons of the rest of the team.

Staring at the images for a moment longer, he then knew exactly what it meant. "What happened? Why can't I contact the others?"

He was brought out of his daze by the sound of Ring's raspy chirp. Looking down at the bird, he saw as the chick settled on the switchboard in exhaustion and her head seemed to droop a little. Glancing up at him, she cheeped almost pleadingly.

In truth, Antauri really had no clue about the care and handling of birds, much less a young one such as Ring. And he was especially hesitant to take care of the mong since he wasn't sure how she would react to him. Still, he knew how fond Otto was of the little bird, and until he could find either the other or Chiro, he would have to watch over the bird to the best of his abilities.

Awkwardly he cupped his hands together and held them up to the bird. She looked at him in slight curiosity before she half-waddled, half-dragged herself off the consol and into his waiting palms.

As she settled herself, the silver monkey could feel her weakness and fatigue, which caused him to wonder how long Ring had been lost. But he decided to dwell on the matter later, and for the moment take the chick to get some water and revitalize her. Then he would have to come up with a way to locate food for her without bringing her with him.

And all the while, he would have to try and discover why his communication systems had been cut off from all of the others.

* * *

Even after so many hours of dormancy since the fire was put out, the charred wood retained some dying embers and a thin trail of grey smoke that rose into the air before quickly disappearing. That was the image that Otto seemed to be staring at as he sat by the fireplace. He sat with his arms wrapped tightly around his legs and his chin resting on his knees. His onyx eyes, though appearing to be focused on the wood in front of him, were really glazed over by a thin hazy film, preventing him from seeing anything very clearly.

Watching him from a short distance away, Nova sighed softly. "Poor Otto," she said quietly. "He must be so worried."

"Yeah," Sprx agreed softly. Then glowering at Gibson, he added, "Though maybe he wouldn't have known about Ring if it hadn't been for _someone _telling him about it…"

"I didn't _mean_ to tell him!" the blue monkey retorted defensively. "It slipped!"

"It's okay, Gibson," Chiro said, fidgeting with his communicator. "_I_ should have been the one to tell Otto about what happened in the first place." He sighed in agitation. "Why can't I get a hold of Antauri?"

"It's odd that he's not here," the chief of science stated. "Since the Brain Scrambler's in its proper place, we can deuce that nothing has happened to him."

"Well, he does usually go out for a walk when he gets back," the yellow monkey said. "Maybe he's just doing that."

"But that doesn't explain why I can't get a hold of him," the leader returned, dropping his hands in frustration. "And we could really use his help looking for Ring out here."

"Chiro," Kalli said softly, "I think maybe we should go without him. We really need to find Ring soon, especially before it gets dark. We can't waste any more time."

Glancing at the girl, he sighed and nodded slightly. "Yeah, you're right," he said, looking back at the green monkey. "I just need to do something first."

Hesitantly, the boy walked over to where Otto was sitting, still staring emptily at the fireplace. Kneeling beside the other, he spoke softly, "Otto…?"

The mechanic gave no answer.

"Look Otto…I'm really sorry about losing Ring. You trusted me to take care of her…and I let you down. I'm _really _sorry. I just wish…there was something I could do to make it up to you."

The green monkey remained silent and unmoving for another moment. Then, after rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he turned to look at the boy. "It's not really your fault, Chiro," he replied in a low whisper. "She's always been a little too curious…and I probably shouldn't have left her for so long…I just wish I knew if she was okay…"

"Well, the rest of us are going to do our best to find her…"

Blinking slightly, the green monkey glanced behind the teen to where the others stood. "You guys are gonna go look for her?"

Chiro nodded slightly. "Yeah. We already looked for her on the Super Robot and she wasn't there. So we decided to look around out here for her."

"I should come too," Otto said, stretching out his legs.

"Kalli says you should stay here…she says that if Ring didn't go too far, she might be able to find her way back to you, but only if you stay in one spot."

"But…"

"Don't worry, Otto. We'll look for Ring as hard as we can. But Kalli says that the best thing you can do for her is to stay here just in case she can find you."

Pouting slightly, the green monkey then slowly nodded. "Okay…"

Smiling a little, the boy then got to his feet. "Oh, and Otto? Can you keep a lookout for Antauri? I've been trying to call him for awhile now, but he's not answering for some reason."

The green monkey tilted his head to the side in slight confusion. "Uh…okay…"

Nodding a little, the leader then turned to the others behind him and motioned for them to follow him. The five of them began to head away, walking further into the large open field before spreading apart from each other.

Otto watched them leave until they all disappeared from sight. Then with a small sigh, he lay back in the grass and stared up at the clear blue sky. "I really hope she's okay…" he muttered. "I wonder what she's doing now…"

As he began to imagine what the baby bird could be up to, he shut his eyes tightly to try and prevent any bad thoughts from entering his mind. Unfortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful.

"Otto?"

Eyes snapping open, the mechanic bolted to sit up at the sound of the familiar voice. And sure enough, he watched as Antauri slowly approached him from the other side of the hill. In his hands, he seemed to hold a small leaf pouch.

"I'm glad I finally found you," the silver monkey said, standing at the other's side. "I've been trying to…"

"Where have you been?" Otto asked, interrupting the other as he got to his feet.

The robotic simian frowned slightly. "I…was in the forest. But Otto, I need to…"

"Chiro's been tryin' to call you. Why haven't you been answering?"

"I…wasn't aware he had been trying to reach me. Otto, what is going on?"

The green monkey clenched his fists tightly as his shoulders tensed. "Ring's gone missing, and Chiro and the others are trying to look for her." He shook his head slightly. "But _you're_ too 'busy' to help them!" he shouted angrily. "You're too 'busy' going off by yourself that you don't know when we need you anymore! Why are you trying to leave us behind! It's like you don't care about us anymore!"

Exhaling loudly, he suddenly felt his body relax and his fingers uncurl while the abrupt burst of anger quickly passed through his system. For a moment, he wasn't entirely sure of what had just happened or what he had just done. But as he caught the confused and even slightly pained expression in the cobalt eyes of the other monkey, his actions began to sink in all too soon.

Eyes widening slightly, the mechanic took a step back and away from the other. His hands began to shake, and his mind furiously searched for something…anything to say. "Antauri, I…I-I didn't mean it…"

The silver monkey studied the other for a moment before focusing his gaze at the ground. "Otto…" he said softly.

"I'm really sorry, Antauri. I-I didn't…mean to yell at you…"

He looked up at the mechanic again. "Otto…" he repeated.

The green monkey didn't seem to hear him. "I don't even know _why_ I yelled at ya…I…I wasn't…I mean, it's not your fault…"

Reaching over, Antauri gently placed his hand on Otto's shoulder. "Otto, it's all right," he assured. "You're simply upset that Ring is lost. I understand."

Hesitantly, the mechanic glanced at the other.

Thinking for a moment, Antauri then stepped away from his brother. "Wait here," he said. Then he turned towards the robot and jumped up, vanishing from sight.

He had watched the other go, but Otto hadn't been really paying attention. Placing his hand to his head, he heavily sat back down on the grass, still slightly bewildered by the event that had just occurred. He was glad that Antauri hadn't gotten angry with him, but it had happened so quickly...he still couldn't believe that it had happened at all.

As far as Otto could remember, he had never been angry with anyone before. Even with everything that had ever happened to them, even with all the fighting and hardships they faced, he had never really been _mad _at anyone. Sometimes he would become slightly upset or frustrated with others, but it was never anything that would cause him to yell at anyone like he had just done.

And while it was true that he was worried about Ring, that worry hadn't been enough to yell at Chiro, who had been watching over the bird before she went missing. He didn't blame the leader at all for what happened, and he certainly hadn't gotten mad at the other. So why had he gotten so angry at Antauri? It hadn't been Antauri's fault that Ring got lost either. So how could he have spoken to the other that way? And to accuse him…of no longer caring for all of them? Where had that even come from? How could he say something like that?

Sighing heavily, he shut his eyes and buried his face in his hands. What was going on? Why was this happening to them? Were they really drifting so far apart? He felt as though…the connection that he held with Antauri had become something so fragile…that it was beginning to crumble around him…and would shatter completely if nothing was done to save it. And that thought alone left a terrible pain in his heart.

The sound of mechanical whirs reached his ears, and he knew that the second-in-command had returned. But he was tentative to look at the other, still guilty of how he could ever raise his voice to him that way.

"Otto…" he heard Antauri say softly.

Dropping his hands to his sides, the green monkey finally slowly raised his eyes. The silver monkey stood beside him, and a small smile was set on his features. But more noticeable than that was the black bird that sat on his shoulder.

"Ring!" Otto exclaimed, jumping up onto his feet.

The mong chirped excitedly, hopping off Antauri's shoulder and flapping her wings rapidly to keep from falling too fast before landing in the mechanic's arms. He held her close to him, and she snuggled deeply into his torso while chirping softly.

Watching the two of them, the silver monkey smiled before clearing his throat. "As I was trying to tell you before…" he explained, "I had found Ring in the Super Robot a while ago. But when I tried to contact you or Chiro, I was unable to…"

Blinking, Otto looked up at the other. "Wait…you found Ring _in _the Super Robot? Chiro said that they looked but couldn't find her there."

"Actually…I had found Ring in the Robot's main computer."

"Wh-what?"

Antauri sighed softly. "I'll explain it to you later…"

"O…kay…But wait, you said that you couldn't talk to me or Chiro?"

"That's right," the silver monkey replied. "Every time I tried, I received no answer."

"That's weird. You're not damaged or anythin', are ya?"

Placing a hand to his torso, Antauri replied, "I believe my systems are fine…but perhaps we will have to check over all the operations later while we repair the Robot's interior."

The green monkey tilted his head slightly. Even though he had been in the Robot earlier, he had been in too much of a daze after hearing that Ring was lost. "Repair? What happened to the Robot?"

"Again…I'll explain later…But in any case, the best thing to do for now is to make sure Ring gets proper nourishment since we're unsure of how long she had been missing…" As he spoke, the robotic simian held up the small leaf pouch that he had been holding earlier.

Looking at the small bag, then at the chick in his arms, Otto then finally looked back up at the second-in-command. "So… was that why you were in the forest? You were…getting food for Ring?"

Carefully, the robotic simian placed the leaf pouch in the other's hand. "Yes. She seemed rather weak when I found her, so I thought that it would be for the best."

"But what did you do with her when you were in the forest?"

"Well, I just left her in my room…"

"You left her in your room?" Otto repeated, slightly surprised.

Frowning a little, Antauri nodded and folded his arms over his chest. "Yes…it was a bit difficult to get her to stay, but eventually I was able to leave her without worry."

Ring suddenly chirped softly, shifting in the mechanic's arms to face Antauri. She flapped her wings a little, continuing to chirp. Smiling slightly, the silver monkey lightly ran a finger over the mong's ebony feathers. In response, the chick chirped again, settling back down in Otto's embrace.

The green monkey watched his brother in slight wonder. "Antauri?" he asked softly. "Ring…kinda likes you, huh?"

The silver monkey looked up at the other curiously. "She doesn't mind me, I suppose."

"But this is the first time you've spent any time with her, isn't it?"

Thinking for a moment, Antauri then nodded slightly. "Yes, I believe so…"

Returning the nod, Otto then looked down at the bird in his arms.

Watching the other for a moment, the robotic simian blinked. "Is anything wrong, Otto?"

"Um…" The mechanic shook his head. "No…There's nothin' wrong."

The second-in-command continued studying the green monkey for a minute longer. With slight hesitation, he decided to let the subject drop for now. "All right…Well, I'm going to examine the damage done to the Super Robot. Will you stay here and wait for the others? When they return, we can begin the repairs."

"Uh, sure…" Otto then watched as the other turned again and jumped up towards the robot, disappearing from sight. When his brother was gone, he then looked back down at Ring, who simply returned his gaze and chirped softly. As he sat back down in the grass and opened the small pouch to feed her, he couldn't help but frown slightly in confusion.

He couldn't forget the event that occurred earlier that morning when he had tried to give Ring to Kalli. He still remembered how upset the bird had become as soon as she had been placed in the sorceress's hands. Even though she still hadn't learned how to change her colors yet, he had spent enough time with her to understand how she was feeling. And when he had given her to Kalli, he remembered how frightened and distressed the bird had become. It was especially strange, since Ring had never reacted that way to any of the others before.

But he hadn't thought too much of it before. He had only assumed that Ring was so scared of Kalli because the two hadn't interacted until that morning. He had noticed that when he was showing the chick off or letting her play with the others, Kalli had tended to keep her distance. While the others helped him entertain the baby bird, the girl had preferred simply to stand nearby and just watch. He had always wondered why, but he never bothered to ask her before. And he had thought that because Ring had never spent any time with her before, she hadn't been used to the sorceress and therefore became so afraid when he tried to leave her with Kalli.

It had seemed like a good reason, and it made sense. Except now, Otto wasn't so sure. After all, Antauri had spent about as much time with Ring as Kalli had. In fact, he thought that the bird would be more unfamiliar with the silver monkey than with the girl. Even though Kalli hadn't interacted or played with Ring, she had always been nearby when Chiro was playing with her. So the baby bird would have at least seen the girl around. Antauri, on the other hand, had been withdrawn from them and spent more time on his own. He figured that Ring would have had less chance to _see _Antauri, let alone spend any time with him. And if that had been the case, she would have been just as – or even more – afraid of the silver monkey like she had been with Kalli.

But when he had been watching Ring and Antauri just a minute ago, he couldn't help but feel that there was something strange going on. The baby bird, instead of being frightened by the silver monkey as he had thought she would be, instead seemed to enjoy his company, just as she enjoyed the company of the others. She had seemed to like the other, and Antauri even managed to leave her on her own while he had gone to get food for her. She showed no fear for him at all.

And that puzzled Otto a bit. Not that he could hardly believe that the mong could ever like the robotic simian, but that she wasn't afraid of him as she had been afraid of Kalli. Even though Ring had spent about the same amount of time with both of them – which was hardly any time at all – she had reacted to them in such different ways, and he couldn't make any sense of it.

So he wondered; what was the reason then? If it wasn't because of the lack of time she had spent with the girl, what was the _real_ reason that Ring didn't seem to like Kalli at all?

_TBC_

Again, I apologize for the length. I have no idea how it got to be that long...

Despite some of the things that happened in this chapter, I kind of enjoyed writing it. Mostly, I think, because of how I portrayed Otto and Antauri's relationship. In the series, to me at any rate, it seems that Otto and Antauri don't interact as much as they interact with all the others of the team. Occassionally Antauri will advise Otto for or against something, or Otto will mention something to Antauri. Yet even though they don't talk a lot to each other, they do seem to have as close a bond as every one else, which has been made apparent by rare moments shared between the two.

And seeing as how these two are my favorite monkeys, I enjoyed writing some kind of interaction between them.

Anyway, I've taken up enough of your guys' time. Please review, and no flames if you can help it. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, and I hope you'll all read that one. It's going to be a very...surprising one, I think.

Later!


	8. Chapter 8

It's been a long time since I've updated. I apologize for that. College really had me busy this semester, and the entire month of November was occupied with National Novel Writing Month. Then I had to start getting ready for finals and everything...

And I realize that it's only a few days until Christmas, so posting today probably isn't a very good idea. But this was the only time that I had a chance to post, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Just...think of this as a Christmas gift from me.

Anyway, for those who actually do read this chapter, I warn you to be prepared for everything here. It might be a little surprising. Enjoy!

* * *

Ring sat on the floor, curiously watching as the green monkey carefully worked on some of the Robot's interior, connecting certain wires and putting away certain pieces in their proper places. Getting a little bored, the chick hopped to a spot on the wall, taking a red wire into her beak and tugging on it.

Looking down at her, the mechanic grinned. "Aww…" he said, "Ring wants to help fix up the place…"

"Just be careful, Otto," Gibson warned from his spot at the main computer. "Unless you want her to get lost inside the Robot again."

Otto frowned slightly, looking back down at the bird before scooping her up with his tail. After hearing about how Antauri had found her in the computer after she had gone missing, he was careful to make sure it wouldn't happen again.

As the mechanic started to get back to work, the chief of science was focused on the computer monitor. Frowning a little, he typed in a few commands on the consol, glancing at the screen again before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. There was no doubt that something strange was occurring, and he decided it would be best to discuss it with Antauri.

Despite the need to fix the rather unnecessary mess the others had created in their search for Ring (a mess that had extended to his lab, he noted with annoyance), it was actually something he had come to be thankful for. After all, the time spent inside the Robot had given them an opportunity to reconnect with Antauri in a way that they hadn't been able to for the past week.

He hadn't been too surprised to learn that the others had felt their relationships with the silver monkey had seemed severed somehow…almost broken. He too had been experiencing the same sentiment. But none of them knew exactly how to go about fixing the problem. Luckily, the two days they had spent fixing the Robot had allowed them to spend more time with the second-in-command, who had also conversed with them more instead of drawing away from them as he had before. The only one who Antauri hadn't been able to patch things up with was Chiro, who had a habit of frequently disappearing with Kalli whenever they took time to repair the machinder.

Gibson wasn't quite sure what to think of it all. He didn't mind the fact that Chiro spent so much time with Kalli (though it did prevent him from helping them do the repairs), but he found it unnerving that the teen and Antauri still hadn't made amends after the argument that occurred a week ago. While the rest of them were rebuilding their relationships with the silver monkey through the time they spent mending the Super Robot, Chiro was usually gone before he had a chance to do the same thing.

And it was especially upsetting that the leader was never able to see the pain that Antauri was in so often…the pain that he had been trying to hide from all of them for the past week.

They had learned of it so suddenly that it had frightened them all. They had been busily fixing the command center, and just as Nova had pointed out that Chiro was once again absent, the silver monkey had collapsed to the ground. His body was trembling and he seemed to be fighting hard to contain himself and contain the pain that overcame him. Then the fit had passed, and several minutes had gone by before Antauri was able to stand again.

After that, the robotic simian had finally confessed to multiple occurrences of similar experiences happening to him, but had no explanation as to why. When Gibson offered to run some scans over his body, Antauri had declined and stated that the problem wasn't of a physical nature, but of a spiritual one.

And that had scared the blue monkey a little. The last time he had heard that, they had nearly lost him on the planet Koroladol.

So they had all taken a watchful eye over Antauri, to be there in case the painful episode ever happened again. But it seemed there was nothing they could do to help him as his strength rapidly deteriorated and his condition just seemed to worsen. He wondered just how the other had managed to hide the pain from them for so long.

Then a rather troubling thought numbed him to the core: Was it that Antauri had been _hiding_ the pain from them all this time…or was it that they had just never bothered to _notice_ it before?

It was true that the second-in-command had started to distance himself from them. But there were still so many times when he had silently sat among them; watching them, being with them…They had sensed that _something _was wrong with him. So why was it just so recently that the learned of the pain that was so greatly affecting him? Why were they only just _seeing _it now?

Had their once meaningful relationship with Antauri really changed so dramatically that they were unable to notice just how much he required their help now? And Chiro, who had been so close to Antauri only a short time ago, still didn't know of how much suffering the silver monkey was going through.

Gibson swallowed thickly as another frightening thought occurred to him: Didn't know? Or just…didn't care?

It was an absurd notion. But still…was it possible…?

He was drawn out of his musings by the sound of someone's arrival through the transport pipes. He turned slightly, and he and Otto watched while Antauri had stepped out of the black-lined tube.

"Welcome back!" Otto said happily as Ring chirped excitedly upon seeing the robotic simian. "Didja find anything?"

While they were occupied with repairs for the central area of the Robot, they had decided (or rather, Antauri had decided during one of Chiro's frequent absences) that they should continue the search they had started for clues to the fate of Kalli's home and people. He advised that there would be different shifts for who went out, and the second-in-command had just returned from his appointed time.

Sighing softly, the silver monkey shook his head. "Nothing yet unfortunately," he replied.

Gibson watched the other as carefully as he could for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

Turning to him, Antauri regarded him carefully as a thoughtful look crossed his features, seeming to debate his answer. Finally, he looked away as he hesitantly answered, "I'm…not at my best."

"Did anything happen to you…while you were gone?" Gibson inquired further. He had wanted one of them to accompany the silver monkey in case he experienced another painful attack while flying the Brain Scrambler, but he and Otto were unable to do so since they were mending the Robot's interior. And because the main computer was temporarily offline, Nova and Sprx had gone to check for any further damage just minutes before Antauri decided to depart.

The reason for the computer's shutdown, occurring two days ago soon after Ring had been found, was because of the damage done inside the consol, and shutting the computer off was the only safe way to repair it without harm. However, if he had known that it meant the silver monkey would chance traveling alone in his current condition, he wouldn't have done it so early.

He sighed in slight relief when he saw the second-in-command shake his head. "Luckily, nothing has happened…yet."

Gibson quickly took a glance at Otto and caught the worried expression held there. They both understood the hidden implication that lied within the other's words. He was bound to go through that moment of surging pain…it happened everyday so far, as far as they've been told. The question was: _When_ would it happen?

The chief of science cleared his throat then, dispelling the heavy silence in order to venture onto another topic. "In any case," he began softly, "it's a good thing that you've returned so soon, Antauri. There's something I need to discuss with you."

Lifting his gaze, the silver monkey looked at the other once again. The impassive expression on the rest of his features did little to conceal the curiosity held in his cobalt eyes. "What is it Gibson?" he finally questioned.

The blue monkey turned his back to the second-in-command as he focused his eyes on the computer screen before him. "Two days ago after Ring was found, you had told us that you were unable to contact us," he stated plainly, still trying to find the proper words to express this recent dilemma.

"That's right," he heard Antauri respond. "Even now, I still haven't been able to establish distant communication with anyone, even when I was in the Brain Scrambler."

That had been another concern to Gibson when Antauri had set off. If they were unable to contact him, and he was also unable to contact them, what would have happened if Antauri had been in any trouble? How would they have known until it was too late?

He quickly suppressed the matter. "Well, when you had told us that, I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the damage Ring might have caused while in the computer's hardware."

"It's not her fault…" Otto said quickly. "She was scared."

Gibson sighed. "I understand that, Otto. But it was _because_ she was scared that she thrashed about inside and wrecked the systems until she exhausted herself. So we had to shut the computer down while we repaired it."

"I wonder why it took us so long to fix it," the mechanic said as he replaced one of the wall tiles.

The blue monkey turned and watched as Ring tugged at some loose wires. "I wonder…" he muttered sarcastically. Then he turned to Antauri again. "When I had reactivated the computer, I found something…rather strange."

"What's that, Gibson?" the second-in-command asked.

"Well…I had checked through the systems, and to my dismay I discovered that communications to and from you were still blocked. Upon further inspection, however, I also found that…well…" He paused, unsure of how to put the idea into words.

The silver monkey sensed the other's hesitancy. "Found what, Gibson?" he urged patiently.

The chief of science looked at him with an uncertain gaze. "Well…I found a sort of…destructive programming that was preventing transmissions from you…and preventing us from reaching you."

Otto's attention turned away from his work to the other two. "Programming?" he asked in confusion. "Like a virus?"

"Very much like a virus," Gibson answered, turning back to the computer. "Designed specifically to attack Antauri's broadcasting systems, impeding any messages to or from it."

The green monkey placed his tool down, abandoning further thoughts of repair. Scooping Ring into his hands, he walked to stand next to Antauri. "But where would a virus like that come from?"

"That…is probably the most disturbing news," Gibson muttered tentatively as his gaze lowered to the computer consol. "I recently managed to deactivate the virus…"

"So now we can call Antauri again?" the mechanic interrupted hopefully.

"Yes, and it was simple enough to do…but as I was doing so, I managed to track down the origins of the virus."

Antauri took a small step towards the blue monkey. The tone in the other's voice seemed unusually discouraged. "You found where the virus came from?" he ventured carefully.

With a long sigh, Gibson nodded. "Yes…and no matter how many times I replicated the procedure, I always received the exact same answer, but…"

Reluctantly he turned to face the other two and pointed to the monitor. "The virus was created right here…on _this _computer…"

Otto's eyes widened. "No way!" he exclaimed. "That can't be right!"

The chief of science shook his head. "Unfortunately it is. I ran the scan hundreds of times! The computer…_our _computer is where the virus derived from."

"If that's the case," Antauri said slowly, folding his arms over his torso, "then that would mean…that one of _us _created the virus."

There was no change in his tone, concealing well any surprise in his voice. But Gibson had a strange suspicion that the second-in-command wasn't stunned in the slightest. Had he already suspected it? Had he already felt…that one of them had tried to disconnect him from everyone else?

"But who?" the mechanic asked, shattering the heavy silence. "Who would want to make a virus like that? And why?"

The chief of science shook his head slightly. "I couldn't tell you _why_ Otto…but the ones capable of creating a virus like this is a limited number. The virus is such a _complicated _program; there are really only two of us who could actually ever create something like it…at least two that any of us are aware of."

Turning back to the computer, Gibson began typing in some commands. "As I analyzed the complex program, I was able to eliminate most of the team as its creator. Unfortunately, there were still two of us left who could ever hope to design something like this…one being myself."

"_You_ Gibson?" the green monkey asked, alarm in his voice.

"_I _didn't make the virus!" the blue monkey retorted. "I was just saying that I'm _able _to make something like it! While the program itself is so intricate, it's actually relatively easy to _create_ as long as one understands what to do."

"But if _you _didn't make it," the mechanic said, scratching his head, "then who's the other person who coulda done it?"

The silver monkey closed his eyes for a moment as a sigh passed through his lips. Opening his eyes again, he looked at Gibson. "You had spent a great deal of time teaching Chiro about such programs, haven't you?" he questioned. Though his voice was barely above a whisper, his words were clearly heard.

Glancing at Antauri with a mix of distress and uncertainty within his ebony depths, he nodded once before looking at the ground.

"Chiro?!" Otto exclaimed. "That can't be…!"

"I've been showing Chiro how to design many complicated programs," Gibson said softly, "and he's really been getting the hang of them. The virus specifications fall right into his range of ability."

"But why? Why would he make something like that? Why would he try to cut out Antauri…?"

Antauri held his hand up to stop the other from continuing. "Let's not jump to conclusions yet, Otto," he advised. "We have no proof that Chiro actually _did _create the virus, and without any we shouldn't assume anything. And even if he did create it, we still must take into account the reason _why_."

Otto and Gibson glanced at each other. If anyone had the right to be upset by the idea that Chiro created the virus, it was Antauri. And yet he was still quick to defend him. They both wondered just how Antauri and Chiro were still on non-speaking terms.

The second-in-command looked at the blue monkey. "Would you be able to find who actually made the virus?"

"I'm…not sure," the chief of science answered hesitantly. "I can try, I suppose…but Antauri, there's still something I have to tell you."

Otto groaned softly. "More bad news?"

"Unfortunately…yes. See, for the past week since we've arrived on Verdane, I've made it a point to monitor the remaining energy in the neutron generator at least once a day."

"A wise idea," Antauri stated.

"Well, I thought it wouldn't hurt. Anyway, for the past few days, I observed the neutron generator and perceived no significant change…until two days ago."

"What do ya mean?" the green monkey asked.

Gibson turned towards him. "After we returned from searching for Ring, I had gone to check on the generator as I usually do, expecting it to be the same as the previous days. However, instead of its regular level, I found that the energy had been seriously depleted compared to just a day before…about a fourth of it had been drained."

"Is there any explanation for that?" Antauri asked.

"None that I can find. But when I checked the generator today, I found that more energy had been extracted and it's now down to half power. If this keeps up, we may never be able to leave Verdane."

The chief of science recognized the concerned gaze that flickered through Antauri's eyes, no matter how brief the instance before their normal neutrality returned. Observing Otto, however, was a different story. At the moment, the only expression he was able to recognize from the green monkey was one of confusion, as though the other couldn't quite understand why this was bad news. And as strange as that seemed to be, it really didn't surprise him.

After all, when Gibson had reached that conclusion earlier – that they all may end up stuck on Verdane – he hadn't been particularly worried. The idea of remaining on the lush and placid planet hadn't bothered him in the slightest, and the notion of making Verdane their new home was actually a comforting thought. He had been in the middle of planning certain living arrangements when the realization finally dawned on him: If they ran out of power, then they could never return to Shuggazoom.

Shuggazoom. Their _real_ home.

How he could have ever forgotten their home planet, he wasn't entirely sure. But it had startled him to think that just after a week of living on the emerald planet, he could so easily forget the planet they had been longing to return to for some time…the planet they spent so much of their effort protecting.

And if _he _could forget so easily, he had wondered if any of the others had forgotten as well. Seeing Otto's reaction to his news gave him some inkling that the others were in the same mind-frame as he was; so comfortable with Verdane that they had failed to remember where it was they had been returning to before.

Antauri had been the exception. The implication had been quickly understood by the silver monkey, and it made Gibson slightly curious. What was the reason that Antauri hadn't been affected by the planet as the rest of them had?

As the blue monkey continued to watch, he saw as the truth finally seemed to light in Otto's eyes. Before he could make sure, however, his thoughts were interrupted as the voice of the second-in-command reached his ears. "Could there possibly be a leak in the storage system?"

Gibson shook his head. "I've already checked and found nothing there. That room was the only one that was untouched after we nearly dismantled the place looking for Ring. There was no damage or anything, so that possibility has been ruled out."

Frowning, Antauri folded his arms across his chest. "Are there any other reasons to account for this?"

"Well…" he began hesitantly, "I have…a small hypothesis…however, I have neither evidence nor suspects to support the idea, not to mention how or why it would be possible is beyond me…"

"Gibson," the silver monkey interrupted patiently, "what is it?"

Looking at the other, the intelligent simian sighed softly. "Well…for a moment, I wrestled with the notion that perhaps…someone was _stealing_ the energy of the neutron generator."

"Stealing?" Otto repeated, his eyes widening.

"Yes…but I couldn't imagine why it'd be done to begin with. Even just a fourth of energy from the neutron generator is very powerful and can be difficult to handle without proper procedures. And if it _is _being pilfered, at the rate of its disappearance, then I'd say that whoever is responsible is certainly taking a great risk."

"Then we can assume that whoever is the culprit is rather desperate for large and quick amounts of energy," Antauri stated softly.

Gibson and Otto exchanged brief, uncertain glances. To their ears, the other had spoken as if the idea of someone stealing the neutron generator's energy was _fact_ rather than just a guess. Did he know something that they didn't?

The same disturbing idea entered both their minds at the same moment. The neutron generator was losing vast amounts of energy in a short period of time. If it was being stolen by someone, Antauri had suggested that it was because the thief _needed _the energy quickly. At the same time, Antauri himself seemed to be rapidly losing his strength. The painful episodes that overcame him frequently seemed to drain him significantly with each occurrence. When the silver monkey had revealed to them how long he had been suffering, they had all wondered just how the other could have lasted so long that way.

It wasn't possible…was it? It…couldn't be. Not Antauri. He would never…would he?

They both didn't want to doubt him that way. And yet for some reason they weren't able to get the thought of their minds.

They were thankfully distracted from their musings when the hum of the transportation tubes echoed through the command center, announcing Sprx and Nova's arrival. Stepping out of their respective tubes, they slowly walked over to the place the other three stood.

"I can't believe how long it's taking us to fix this place," Sprx muttered as he stepped over various spare parts strewn throughout the room.

"Well, we did kind of mess it up a lot," Nova retorted. Turning to the other three, she added, "And there are still some of the lower levels that need to be repaired too."

"Just how badly did you destroy the Robot while looking for Ring, anyway?" Gibson reproved.

The hot shot held up his hands in defense. "Hey, we were just doing what Chiro told us to do," he answered.

Ring chirped softly as Otto placed her on his shoulder. "It shouldn't be too hard to fix," he said confidently. "Actually, it shouldn't be taking as long as it has."

"Well, with you and the kid playing house all the time, it's not going to happen anytime soon."

The mechanic looked at the other curiously. "Whaddya mean?"

Sprx sighed softly. "Just that maybe the reason it's taking so long to fix the Robot is because you're busy taking care of Ring, and Chiro and Kalli are off doing who-knows-what."

"That's not fair, Sprx," Nova admonished. "We didn't know any of this was gonna happen. You can't blame them for this."

"Especially since you also helped create the mess in the first place and have done little to help fix it," the blue monkey stated.

"Hey!" the pilot shot back. "At least I'm _here _to help!"

"Not that you do anything useful…"

Antauri and Otto watched in surprise and bewilderment as, from that point, the three quickly escalated into a heated argument. The silver monkey frowned deeply, sensing the anger that provided the fuel to their words and statements. What really bothered him was that the burning source of each of their aggravation had just come so suddenly. There had been no evidence of any irritation prior to the quarrel just seconds ago, and he wasn't able to tell where it had all come from.

He opened his mouth to call their attention and prevent them from carrying the dispute any further. However, his voice was caught in his throat as a familiar pain rippled through his body.

Otto stood and watched the other curiously, wondering why he had seemed to stop suddenly. He figured that the second-in-command would try to put an end to the argument between the other three by that point. Then a familiar, anxious feeling filled the green monkey as he noticed that Antauri's body had stiffened considerably. During the past two days, he had quickly come to recognize the significance of the other's actions.

Still, he jumped slightly when the silver monkey suddenly collapsed to his knees, his robotic body violently trembling. "Antauri!" he gasped as Ring began to chirp frantically.

The squabble between the three was swiftly dropped at the mechanic's exclamation. All hostility soon dissipated, replaced by concern and worry for the second-in-command.

Kneeling down beside him, Gibson placed his hand on Antauri's shoulder as he tried to get a better look at what was occurring…to obtain any clues about what was happening and why. But as he felt the painful seizures that racked the stiff metallic body, as he saw the way Antauri gritted his teeth to fight down the groans that threatened to pass his lips, and as he noticed how tightly the other's silver hands were clenched in vain attempts to somehow divert the affliction within…he was once again overcome with the feeling of helplessness. He hated to admit it, but there was nothing he could do to help ease Antauri's suffering.

With a defeated sigh, Gibson turned his gaze towards the anxious faces of the others. In their eyes, he could see the different thoughts, similar to his own, running through their heads; the wishing that there was something they could do for Antauri, the feeling of disappointment and failure that they _couldn't_ help, the hoping that the fit would pass quickly and that Antauri would still come out of it more or less all right, and especially the wondering.

Why? Why was this happening to him? What was the reason that Antauri was suffering like this?

* * *

Suddenly, Chiro broke the kiss, drawing away from Kalli. "Hold on…" he said softly.

"What's wrong, Chiro?" the sorceress asked.

He avoided looking into her gold eyes. The hurt tone in her voice was enough. "I'm sorry…it's just…I haven't been totally honest with you, Kalli."

"What do you mean?"

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the teen leader let out a low sigh. "It's just…Jinmay…"

The girl blinked a little, tilting her head as she looked at him curiously. "Jinmay? You're friend back on Shuggazoom?"

"Yeah…See, I really like you a lot, Kalli. But…I don't know, I really like Jinmay too…more than just a friend."

He chanced a glance at her face, and he found himself flinching a little at the surprised expression in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he uttered again, desperate to come up with some kind of explanation, "I'm just…I don't know, confused I guess. I mean, I really do _like _you, Kalli…ever since I first met you."

The girl smiled. "That's when _I _first started liking you."

Chiro allowed a small smile on his lips as he felt a slight warmth on his cheeks. But the smile soon disappeared and he cleared his throat. "The thing is, though, it was the same with Jinmay. Ever since I first saw her…and she and I have been through a lot together. I've said Jinmay and I are just friends, but I know that's really not true. I really care about her…but when I first saw you, I somehow forgot all about her for a while. And I care about you too, and…" He sighed in frustration, unsure of what else to say.

Gently, Kalli took one of Chiro's hands into her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, Chiro," she whispered. "I understand how hard it must be for you; caring for two people the same way and feeling like you have to choose one."

The leader nodded slightly. "I just wish I knew what to do."

"Well, you're just going to have to take some time to decide."

"Yeah…" Chiro rubbed the back of his neck again. "It's not gonna be easy."

"Most important things never are. But it really has to be done. If you don't decide, it really wouldn't be fair to Jinmay or me."

"I know…I guess I'm glad Antauri reminded me _before_ we got back to Shuggazoom, otherwise I'd _really_ be in trouble."

"Antauri?"

Chiro nodded. "Yeah. He reminded me about Jinmay the night we got into that argument. I guess one of the reasons I got mad at him was because I knew he was really right about how I feel for Jinmay, but he still didn't understand how I feel about you."

The boy gave a small laugh then. "Actually, it's kinda funny now that I think about it. When we all first met Jinmay, it seemed like Antauri wasn't too fond of her either."

"Really?" Kalli asked.

"Yeah…that was kinda my fault, I guess, but he warmed up to her eventually." He shrugged. "Maybe that means he'll warm up to you too."

The sorceress frowned slightly. "Maybe…but I kind of doubt it."

Chiro looked at her curiously. "Why's that?"

She turned to look at him. "Chiro…if you told Antauri that you had to choose between me and Jinmay, would he prefer it if you chose Jinmay?"

"I…don't know. Probably, but…"

"Why?"

That question startled him a bit. "What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why would Antauri prefer you to pick her over me? Why is it that he doesn't like me?"

The leader floundered for an answer. "Maybe…because he doesn't know you too well, I guess."

"He didn't know Jinmay either."

"But he knows her now," Chiro replied, unsure of where the conversation was going.

"So would you say Antauri would prefer you to choose Jinmay because he knows her better than he knows me?"

"I…guess…? But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Because if he knows her better, than he'll have an easier time understanding what she might or might not do."

The boy frowned. "What?"

"You said that Antauri might not like me because he doesn't know me. If he doesn't know me, then he can't understand the things I do or say as easily as he would with someone he's more familiar with, like Jinmay. And he can't _predict_ what I might do. So maybe he doesn't like the idea of us being together because he feels that he won't know what I might do to you."

Chiro rubbed the back of his head slightly, mulling over her words. Even though her logic was slightly confusing, he found himself understanding exactly what she meant. "But why? I mean, it's not like you're going to do something bad to me, right?"

"Of course not Chiro," the girl assured. "You know I wouldn't. But _Antauri _doesn't know that, because he doesn't know _me_. That could be why he would want you with Jinmay. Because he knows her, and it's safe and predictable."

The boy hesitated. "I don't know, Kalli. Antauri's not really like that. I mean, yeah, he doesn't like you too much, but if I told him that I really wanted to be with you, he'd understand. He wouldn't mind if he knew that that's what makes me happy…"

"Really?" she demanded, a strange seriousness in her golden eyes. "Are you sure about that?"

The teen leader blinked in confusion. "Yeah…" he replied, more uncertain than he had intended to be.

Studying him for a moment, the sorceress's expression then softened. "I'm sorry, Chiro," she said, turning away from him. "I didn't mean to…I'm just worried, that's all."

"It's okay, Kalli," he replied, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. "What are you worried about?"

Glancing at the other shyly, the sorceress played with her hands. "Well…there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while…I've just never known how to say it."

"C'mon, Kalli. You know you can ask me anything."

"I know…I'm just afraid of how you might take the question."

Chiro's frown deepened. Her attitude was already puzzling him. "Well," he finally answered, "you won't know unless you ask."

With a small sigh, Kalli nodded and turned to face him. "Okay," she said. "Just promise you won't get mad."

"I promise."

Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, she inhaled deeply as she sought for the words she needed. "Are you sure…that Antauri really _cares_ about you at all?"

Eyes widening, the boy opened his mouth to say something, but the shock of the question prevent the flurry of thoughts from reaching his lips. "Wh-what…?" he finally managed to stutter.

Glancing at him cautiously, the girl then focused her gaze on the ground.

After a moment, Chiro at last found his voice. "Of course I'm sure that Antauri cares…! Why would you…I mean, how could you even _ask _that question?"

She began playing with her hands again. "Well, it's just that you always tell me about how hard you have to work and everything…and how hard Antauri pushes you."

He rapidly searched his mind trying to recall when he had told her that. "Well yeah…but Antauri _has _to push me to work hard."

"Why?"

"Well, y'know…" The teen paused, a frown set on his lips. There _was _a reason for it, he knew. So why couldn't he remember it? "So that…I'll get better…"

"But he's not you, Chiro. He could keep forcing you to work and train until the end of time without realizing that you have limits. And wouldn't you know when you've reached those limits better than he would?"

Chiro hesitated, unsure of how to answer. Part of him knew that what she was saying wasn't true…but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to tell her that.

"You also told me that Antauri said that you were some kind of Chosen One," the sorceress continued. "But you never wanted to be, did you? You never asked to be the Chosen One. You're just a kid, after all. So what right does Antauri have to make you work so hard, to push you past your limits…to _change_ you…for a destiny you never really wanted? For a destiny you don't even understand?"

The leader of the Hyperforce bit his bottom lip. She couldn't be right, could she? She just couldn't be. Antauri _had _to care…didn't he?

"What _proof_ do you have that Antauri really cares about you?" Kalli asked softly.

He thought for a minute, trying to come up with something. There had to be…anything to show her she was wrong.

A single instance flashed in his mind, one that was burned deeply in his memories. He'd never forget it, and it was exactly what he needed. "He sacrificed himself to save us…to save me," he finally answered. "His body was destroyed, and we almost lost him forever…but he gave up everything to save the world…so that _I _wouldn't have to…So that I would live."

As he watched her face carefully, he felt that the reason he had provided was irrefutable, that it was enough to show her how wrong she was about Antauri. That everything she was saying about him just wasn't true. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder; was he trying to convince Kalli of the truth…or just himself?

It didn't matter now. There was no way for either of them to argue with this point. Or so he thought.

What the girl said next shattered whatever faith he still held.

"Just because he saved you doesn't mean he has to care…" the sorceress answered softly.

His heart simply stopped then as he stared at her, shock and confusion frozen in his cerulean eyes fixed on the girl. His mouth opened – whether to deny the idea or to question it further, he didn't know – but absolutely nothing would come out. How…how was that possible? How could…Antauri? That just…it didn't seem right. Why would he…What did Kalli mean?

He was suddenly aware of the tremble that had consumed his body. But was it anger at the girl's outlandish ideas? Fury of what she was saying about Antauri, trying to insist that he didn't care? Or was it…fear?

Fear that there was a chance…that she was right?

The torrent of confusion was broken by the soft tone of Kalli's voice. "I only say that…" she began, "because _your _circumstances are much different from other people. Maybe if it had been someone else, it would have been better. But Antauri said that you are the 'Chosen One,' and that it was your destiny to wield the Power Primate. But y'know…you can't do anything if you're _dead_…"

At that moment, he knew exactly what she was trying to say. He understood the insinuation she was making, and he couldn't resist the notion that she might have some kind of point.

But maybe that's what made it so painful…

Antauri hadn't saved him because he _wanted_ to. He had a destiny to fulfill, an obligation to complete. And Antauri knew that…probably better than anyone. It had been the monkey's duty to guide him, teach him, help him, protect him…but that didn't mean that Antauri had to _like _him. Fate had brought them together, forcing each to work with the other. And for the chance for a more peaceful future – the one thing Antauri always sought for – the monkey had been willing to sacrifice everything. Time, effort, energy; mental, physical spiritual ability…even life.

It had never been about _him _that Antauri cared for. It had always been about his destiny as the Chosen One that the other had been protecting. And the reason that Antauri had saved him back then…was only because he _had _to…

Gently taking the boy's hand, Kalli gave it a tender squeeze. "I'm so sorry that you had to hear it this way, Chiro," she said softly. Yet the sympathetic tone and sweet features couldn't hide the darkness in her golden eyes this time.

But Chiro didn't notice. He hadn't registered her touch or heard the sound of her voice. All that he was aware of was the deep pain that had cut through his body. Quickly he shut his eyes to prevent the hot tears that threatened to fall.

So then it was all a lie? After everything the two had been through together…all the good and bad times…after everything he had learned from the other…and the pain that he had felt when he thought Antauri had died…the rejoicing of his return…all his concern and respect for his mentor…their entire _friendship_…Had all of that really been wasted on someone who didn't even care about him? On someone who had preformed every task just because of a future he was supposed to realize?

Just the very idea…that Antauri didn't care about him at all…left a cold emptiness in his heart.

And if he had been more aware, he would have felt something far worse fill inside it…

_TBC_

As I believe I've stated once before, there's a reason for this OOCness. It's all part of the plot, so please bear with me until the end of the story...which won't be for a few more chapters.

I do recommend that everyone reads the next one when it comes out. _That_ will be a real surprise.

Anyway, no flames if it can be helped, but reviews would be much appreciated. Thanks! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!


	9. Chapter 9

I apologize for taking so long to update this story. I got sidetracked with another story that I had to write, and things have been kind of crazy lately. Hmm...I wonder if there are still people out there reading this story...

For those of you who are, and since it has been a while since my last update, I highly suggest glimpsing over the previous chapters (especially the end of chapter 8) before tackling this one. Just as a refresher. You don't have to, I suppose, but it could help remind you of where some of the ideas in this chapter came from.

Anyway, enough out of me. All I ask now is that you keep your mind open, and trust me. Happy reading!

* * *

Antauri sighed softly as he sat upon the Robot's shoulder and looked over the vast area below. A gentle breeze drifted around him, and he watched as it danced through the grass and flowers in the field as well as tickled the tops of the trees in the nearby forest. As he gazed over the tranquil setting, he did his best to calm the painful torrent that still lingered within.

It had been about an hour since the painful episode he had experienced among the others in the Command Center. Shortly afterwards he had retreated from them in order to gather his bearings, as well as his thoughts over the entire matter that was unfolding before him.

That last experience was by far the most agonizing one to date. The pain that had ripped through his soul was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Even now, an hour after the event occurred, the pain lingered and pulsed within him, searing through the spiritual wound that had yet to heal.

The pain of a burning anger that, at the same time, left him feeling strangely cold inside.

It was unnatural, that he knew. A crippling sensation that simply did not belong. What truly puzzled him was how to go about taking care of the situation. There wasn't much time left. There _had_ to be a way to fix this before it was too late.

And yet he couldn't quell the fear…that perhaps it was_ already_ too late.

The sound of laughter suddenly rattled the silence around him, and Antauri watched as Chiro and Kalli emerged from the forest, hand-in-hand. As they walked, they spoke to each other in soft tones before laughter briefly interrupted their conversation.

His eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on the sorceress. The suspicion that all was not right with her suddenly felt stronger than ever. No matter how hard he tried, he knew that she could not be trusted.

But he still had no proof. All he had was his own suspicion, and while that once was enough evidence for his teammates, he knew they would not believe him this time. So for now, he could only prepare himself for when she revealed her true nature. And he had to find a way to protect the others…especially Chiro.

In one fluid motion, the silver monkey rose to his feet and jumped from the robot's shoulder. He landed in front of the two teens, causing Kalli to gasp and hide behind Chiro.

"Antauri!" the leader reproached. "I've told you not to do that around Kalli!"

The robotic simian ignored the comment. "Chiro, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Though the boy's irritation quickly faded, he hesitated and glanced back at the sorceress, who met his gaze with a shrug. With one more look at his mentor, Chiro then gave a nod.

Though Antauri recalled a time when the teen would acquiesce to a request without hesitation, he said nothing about it and motioned to the area behind the hill. But as Chiro moved passed him, the silver monkey lingered for a moment longer and turned his attention towards Kalli.

Noticing his glance, the girl responded with a sweet smile. But the monkey felt the darkness in her golden eyes, and a shudder ran through his metallic body before he broke the contact and turned to follow Chiro.

Once they were on the other side of the hill, the boy turned to his mentor. "So what did you wanna talk about, Antauri?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

The simian didn't like the irate tone the other was speaking with. "Where have you been, Chiro?" His voice remained calm, concealing any possible emotions and wanting to keep the exchange neutral.

"I was just hangin' out with Kalli. Why? Is that a problem now?"

There was a strange hostility in Chiro's voice, and a coldness that worried Antauri. "It's only a problem because we could use your help fixing the Super Robot."

Scoffing, the teen dropped his arms to his sides. "Y'know, no one else has a problem with me spending time with Kalli. Why do you?"

"Perhaps they are only withholding what you need to hear," the silver monkey responded, frustration creeping into his tone. "But all the time you spend with her is pulling you away from what you should be doing _here_, from helping us with the repairs."

Chiro's fists clenched tightly. "Why don't you just come out and say it?" he shot back. "Why don't you just say that you don't like Kalli, and that the only reason you want me to stay here and help fix the robot is because you don't want me being with her!"

Antauri was bewildered by the teen's mounting anger. Choosing his next words carefully, he stated, "I've told you before; how _I _feel about Kalli is not what's important. But you have a responsibility to the team –"

The leader's harsh snort interrupted the robotic simian. "Yeah, you would know all about responsibility, wouldn't you, Antauri? That's all that _ever_ matters to you. All you care about is responsibility, about duty, about what destiny _forces_ us to do…but you don't care about anything else…or any_one _else."

By this time, the remaining four monkeys had emerged from the robot and were peaking from the other side of the hill to watch the conversation between their two teammates. Their eyes widened at the teen's accusation, and while the silver monkey's back was towards them, they could all feel the shock that radiated from their second-in-command.

"It's true, isn't it, Antauri?" the leader spoke up again. "You think that everything is controlled by fate or something, and that everything has to happen because that's the way it's supposed to be. But you don't care about anyone, because they're just pieces that fit in the puzzle, going exactly where they're supposed to go." His shoulders trembled as he glared at the mentor. "That's how it went with me, isn't it? Just some kid meant to be the Chosen One, destined to wield the Power Primate that suddenly blew into your life whether you wanted me or not…That's why you've spent so much time protecting and helping me, because of my destiny. But you _never_ cared about me."

The allegations had come so suddenly, so unexpectedly and without reason that the robotic simian at first didn't know how to react. Shaking himself out of his astonishment, he struggled to find his voice. "Chiro…that's not…"

"Don't lie to me!" the teen snapped. "You _never_ cared about me. I was just some kid you needed to guard because of something I'm fated to do. But I was still never good enough for you, was I? That's why you always had to keep pushing me to work harder, pushing me to do better; pushing me to change so I could fit _your_ ideal…_your_ 'Chosen One'. But no matter what I did…no matter what I _do_…it's never enough for you!"

"You're wrong, Chiro!" Antauri argued. "My intentions were never meant to –!"

The rest of the simian's words dissipated when a powerful front kick caught him in the chest and sent him sailing backwards. His metallic body hit the ground hard and slide over the grass until finally stopping, landing several feet away from the rest of the team.

The four monkeys gasped. "Antauri!" Otto exclaimed as Ring chirped frantically.

Stepping forward and standing where Sprx and the green monkey remained, Chiro watched as Nova and Gibson rushed to the silver monkey's side. For a moment, the boy could scarcely believe what happened. Had he really just hit Antauri like that? But as he caught the robotic simian's gaze, and felt the questions…the _pain_…in the cobalt eyes, he knew what he had done and almost regretted it.

Almost.

"Whaddya think you're _doing_, Kid?!" he heard the red monkey demand. "Are you outta your mind?!"

The boy turned to the other. "I'm just tired of it all, Sprx," he answered, his own hard tone foreign to his ears. "I'm sick and tired of all the responsibility, of always having to work so hard and fighting all the time. I'm sick of never being good enough for him…I'm sick of being forced into something I'm not. I'm sick of being the 'Chosen One' and of _destiny_." His focus then turned back to his fallen mentor. "But most of all…I'm just sick of _you_."

"But Chiro…!" Gibson began, but was quickly silenced by the silver monkey's hand.

Slowly Antauri rose to his feet, looking at the leader with a steady gaze. "Is that really what you think, Chiro?" he asked. "Is that really how you feel?"

The teen scoffed and threw his hands into the air. "There you go again!" he retorted. "Even though I'm _telling_ you, you still don't _listen_ to me! It's like you think I don't know what's going on in my own head! _Yes_, this is really how I feel! I _hate_ all of this! I _hate_ it, and I hate _you_!"

"Then what would you like me to do?" Antauri's calm tone never wavered.

"I…" Chiro paused as he thought over the question. What _did_ he want the other to do? "I just…I just want you to leave. And I never want to see you again."

The silver monkey's composure never faltered. But after a lingering moment, he closed his eyes and turned his face away from the boy. "Very well…" he finally answered.

Nova's eyes widened. "Antauri…!" she protested as the second-in-command began to leave.

Looking at her, the robotic simian placed his hand on her shoulder. "Watch over him…" he whispered. "Do what you can to protect him…and take care of yourselves." Then he stepped away from her, crouching to the ground as he ran towards the forest. His silver form disappeared amidst the shadows of the trees…never looking back.

Watching his mentor go, Chiro couldn't explain the sudden tears that stung his eyes. Why was he ashamed of what just happened? He asked for this, didn't he? He _wanted_ this, didn't he? He thought he had…but somehow part of him just wasn't sure anymore.

At least until he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. He turned to look at Kalli, who gave him a reassuring smile. "It's gonna be okay, Chiro…" she said softly. "You'll see."

Returning the smile, the leader nodded. All his doubt seemed to vanish. Turning to the remaining monkeys, he sighed. "Okay…" he said, rubbing the back of his head, "I guess I kinda put you guys on the spot now. But this is the way it's gonna be from now on. And I'm sorry to make you choose like this, but I need to know…Are you with _me_? Or are you with _him_?"

Startled, the four simians exchanged hesitant and uncertain glances. How could they make such a decision…to pick either Chiro or Antauri? Why did they _have _to pick? Neither of them wanted to leave Antauri on his own…to abandon him…but the ultimatum gave them little choice. And they couldn't very well leave Chiro alone either. Three pairs of ebony eyes then turned to focus on their third in charge, waiting for her verdict.

Reluctantly Nova glanced over her shoulder in the direction where Antauri had gone, his last words echoing in her mind. Then, turning back to the teen, she replied softly, "You're our leader, Chiro. You know we're here for you."

"Yeah, Kid," Sprx added, picking up on her lead. "We've got your back."

Chiro smiled in relief when Otto and Gibson nodded their agreement. "Thanks, guys," he said. "I knew I could count on you."

The four once again traded doubtful looks before looking up at the suddenly darkened sky. Ominous clouds loomed overhead, blocking the sun as water droplets began to descend on them.

"Oh well _that's_ just great…" the hot shot muttered.

Ring chirped softly, fluttering her wings anxiously when the storm grew heavier. Though Otto did his best to protect her from the rain, they were all quickly getting soaked.

"I think we better sleep inside the Super Robot tonight," Chiro suggested, trying to keep the rain out of his eyes. Looking at the sorceress, he added, "I guess…there's an extra room now for you to sleep in…"

The Monkey Team frowned at the boy's words, but all said nothing as they headed back up the hill and entered the machinder. As she moved to follow them, Kalli stopped when she noticed that the other hadn't budged.

"Chiro?" she said softly. "What's wrong?"

He tore his gaze away from the forest where Antauri had disappeared to look at her with wondering sapphire eyes. "Do you really think I did the right thing?" he asked. "You really think this is okay?"

The sorceress sighed, taking his hand into hers. "It's hard to really be sure," she replied softly. "But you definitely can't change what's happened. We'll just have to wait and see how this all turns out, okay?"

Chiro nodded, looking back at the thick woods. "I guess you're right…"

Smiling gently, Kalli reached up with her free hand to gently caress his cheek. "Hey…try not to worry about it now, all right? After all, you've still got the others…and I'm here too. And we'll do what we can to help."

Placing his hand on top of hers, he gave her a small nod. "Yeah…Thanks Kalli."

Darkness flickered in her golden eyes, but the storm concealed it well. "It's what I'm here for," the girl answered playfully.

With a grin of his own, Chiro leaned forward to gently capture her lips.

* * *

Antauri gasped as pain suddenly coursed through his body, immobilizing him. His hand faltered on the ground, slick with the fresh rain, and sent him crashing into the dampened soil. The pain was far worse than anything he had experienced, tearing at his soul and ripping him apart. It mingled with the pain that lingered from earlier that day, growing and spreading until it consumed him entirely. It quickly seared through him, leaving nothing but a hollow chill that created deep scars in his spirit.

But it was not the worst pain that he felt. The worst were Chiro's harsh words that sharply cut through his heart.

It had taken everything in his power to retain a calm state in light of the angry accusations thrown at him. Never before had he expected to hear those words from the teen, nor did he ever consider how to react if presented with such a situation. Just the idea that Chiro could ever think he didn't care…that he never cared…that he didn't think the teen was "good enough"…How could Chiro ever considered such things? And the sharp bitterness he had spoken those words with…Antauri never expected it to _hurt_ so much.

Yet through the sting of the claims and the rage in the tone, the silver monkey knew that the teen hadn't meant the words he said. Antauri knew the truth, and he knew exactly what was happening. He knew why Chiro had said those things, and he knew…he knew that it was all his fault.

Because he had failed to protect the boy.

Antauri grit his teeth and shut his eyes. He had been too late after all, and he had failed to prevent all this from occurring. If only he could have seen it sooner, if he could have just realized…then none of this would have happened. But it was too late now. He had failed, and because of his grave mistake Chiro was in terrible danger. It was only a matter of time before the teen was completely gone…

And still…there had to be something he could do. Perhaps it was too late to _stop_ it, but it still wasn't too late to _fix_ this…yet. There _had_ to be some way to save Chiro…

That's why…he had to…get up…

Biting back the pain that continued to course though his body, Antauri struggled to push himself up. His silver form was now plastered with mud, and he fought to keep his balance before running through the forest once more. He had his destination set in mind, and he had to get there no matter what.

If he was going to help Chiro now, he needed some answers…and some help. And he knew there was only one place he could go to receive both.

The rain pounded on top of him, trying once more to drive him to the ground. He winced as each droplet struck a painful needle that beat against the weakened soul inside the metallic frame. The muddied ground tried to ensnare his limbs, tried to pull him back into it. And the pain within was almost overwhelming, threatening to destroy him entirely. But he held control, willing himself to keep moving.

And somehow, despite the torture it had been, Antauri found himself standing in front of the cave where Kalli had been locked away.

Rising to stand on his two feet, the silver monkey rested his hand against the cave wall for support, slowly stepping inside the cave. The cavern air felt empty and frozen, whispering a sorrowful warning for him to turn back. But he did not yield and continued moving father back into the tunnels.

As the narrow corridor expanded into the wider chamber, Antauri winced from the harsh light that filled the cave. The orb continued to radiate its violet beam atop the altar, but with much more intensity than it had when he was last in the grotto. There was no warmth to the glow, and in fact it was colder in the cave than it had been outside in the rain. It was as though the light of the orb absorbed the heat around it, leaving nothing but the bare cold.

But while he wanted to examine the orb, he ignored it and instead continued on past the altar steps. He only came to a stop when he stood in front of the black-cloaked skeleton that clutched its jade pendant.

Antauri stared at the figure for an eternal moment. He could only assume that this person had died holding onto the jewel, and therefore the item held great importance. And while he preferred not to disturb the final resting place of a fallen being, he knew that the pendant held all the answers he sought.

At any rate, he had known that he would return to this cave and search for this pendant. He just never realized when or why he would revisit the place.

"But you knew, didn't you?" the robotic simian said, his cobalt eyes never straying from the jewel held by the skeletal hand. "You knew I would come again…because you were the one calling me here in the first place. The first day we had landed on Verdane, you called me here because you knew what was going to happen. And you were the one who warned me not to inform Kalli of your presence here. It was all your doing…and if I had paid more attention, perhaps I could have stopped all this from getting too far."

Another wave of pain spread through him, forcing his legs to give way. Collapsing to his knees, he bit back the groan that tried to work its way up. Looking at the pendant again, he said, "I need your help now. Something has to be done before it's too late…and I'm running out of time."

Rising to his feet once more, the silver monkey stepped towards the skeleton and bowed to it. "Forgive me…" he said. Then he reached out and grabbed the jade pendant. When he did, the jewel flared brilliantly, engulfing him in its bright light.

Antauri felt the pain within him suddenly ease, replaced with a warmth that had so long been absent. It spread throughout his soul, touching the scars and providing even just a temporary relief. And as the soothing sensation swept through him, he heard a strange voice echo within his mind.

"_Greetings, my friend. It is nice to finally see you. I have been expecting you for some time_…"

_TBC_

I hope I haven't offended anyone with the terrible OOCness. I promise, I've _planned_ it this way, and it's integral to the story's plot.

I've also left vague ideas here, because I plan to explain everything (hopefully) in the next chapter. If you want your questions answered, make sure to catch it!

It may take a while before the next chapter is up, though. I'm on spring break right now, but it ends next week. After that, class work will keep me pretty busy for a while. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon, but we'll have to see.

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think. No flames if it can be helped, and remember: I've planned everything out already. The OOCness is supposed to happen. So please don't send angry reviews telling me how wrong I am. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

/throws confetti and blows party horns/ VOOT! LOOK WHO'S BACK! YEEEEEEAH!!!

Okay, so it isn't really that big of a deal...But considering how long it's been since I updated this story, I think it deserves some kind of recognition.

/gets beaten up by angry, impatient readers/

Seriously though, I do apologize for how long it's been since the last chapter. I'll admit that I let this story fall to the wayside, but recently I've gotten back into SRMT (as I'm sure some of you noticed by the other three stories I posted before). I'm hoping the feeling will last long enough for me to finish the story and start on the next one I have planned (I'm not sure whether to make that one a sequel to this one or just have it stand on its own...but I feel the latter would be the best choice).

Admittedly, I don't think this chapter is particularly exciting. There's not too much action, but it's important because it explains a few things that you might want to know. Hopefully everything makes sense, and I apologize if it doesn't.

On a separate and completely unrelated note...my birthday is this Saturday. Just thought I'd mention it... /wink wink/

That's really all I have to say right now. So I'll just shut up and let you read this. Enjoy!

* * *

Antauri closed his eyes for a moment as he stood underneath the rain, sighing as he tried to calm his trembling hands. Looking down at his body, he made half-hearted attempts to clean the mud from the silver form. The rain softened the dirt to help him remove it, but streaks of brown remained where it already hardened and left his silver appearance dull.

The only thing that stood out against the dark storm was the jade pendant he wore around his neck.

He gripped the pendant as a shiver rippled through his soul, and he glanced up at the looming clouds above. Though the pain no longer spread for the time being, it continued to pound against his frame. He knew it would only get stronger if something wasn't done soon…and he knew that he wouldn't be the only one affected when that happened.

Slowly he headed back into the cave, leaning against the wall as he walked down the narrow passageway. Ignoring the glaring light at the top of the altar, he entered the open chamber and passed the stairs of the shrine. Carefully he sat in front of the cloaked skeleton, wincing as pain shot through him and nearly sent him crashing to the floor.

_My friend, you continue to weaken. Please, allow me to help you._

Antauri shook his head, fingering the jewel around his neck. "We both know…you can only provide a temporary relief…" he replied, his weak voice barely above a whisper. "There is only one…true solution."

_I understand. But you also must have the strength in order to achieve it._

The silver monkey couldn't argue with that. Closing his eyes, he held the pendant in both hands. "Very well."

The jade crystal began to glow with a soft blue light that expanded over the silver body, encompassing him and filling him with a gentle warmth. The glow lasted for only a moment, but the sensation continued to linger as he opened his eyes and let the pendant rest against his chest. "Thank you," he said with a stronger tone.

_I only wish I could do more to help._

"We'll think of something soon," Antauri replied, resting his hands on his knees.

_Yes. We do not really have a choice, do we?_

He sighed, wiping water away from his eyes. "Unfortunately not. How much longer do you think the process will take before completion?"

_Not long, I fear. At the rate things have progressed, I believe she would accomplish her goal by tomorrow._

Antauri rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Then we must do something before it's too late."

_But what do you propose we do? No one else will believe you, and you cannot confront her alone._

Just as the silver monkey was about to answer that there was no other choice, he felt a sudden presence throughout the cave. Actually, he felt _several_ presences…several _familiar_ presences. He closed his eyes and sighed, rising to his feet. As he turned around, he found the small mong bird hopping towards him, chirping curiously.

_That is quite peculiar. Mong birds are normally not fond of the rain. It is strange for one to have traveled during this storm, especially a young chick like this one._

'Unless the chick was brought by its parent,' Antauri thought, reaching down and scooping the bird into his hands. "Otto?" he called.

At first, silence was his only reply. Then he watched as Otto peeked out from behind a rock, grinning sheepishly. "Uh…hey…Antauri," the mechanic said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Otto, what are you doing here?" Antauri asked, holding Ring out to the other as he approached.

"Well…uh…" The green monkey carefully took back the baby bird. "I was…kinda worried about ya, s'all. I just…y'know…wanted to make sure you were okay. Y'know…just me. By myself. All alone here…checkin' on ya."

Though touched by the other's concern, he knew there was more to the story than that. Folding his arms across his torso, he said, "Otto…"

"Yeah?"

Antauri focused his gaze on the rock. "You can tell the others that they can come out now."

Otto winced a little, and the three still behind the rock peered out. "Toldja he'd know we were here," Sprx retorted.

"It was your idea to have Otto pretend we weren't," Gibson shot back.

"Would you two cut it out?" Nova asked, moving away from the rock and approaching the silver monkey. Looking at the other, her gaze softened a little. "Are you okay, Antauri? You seemed like you were in pretty bad shape when you left."

The second-in-command frowned. He had tried his best to leave his condition unnoticed. "I'm fine, Nova," he assured her.

"Have you…suffered any since you left?" Gibson wondered, unsure of how else to word the question.

Antauri hesitated, subconsciously fingering the jade pendant. "To some extent," he replied. "Right now, however, everything seems to be fine."

Sprx watched the other curiously. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the jewel.

It was the question he'd been expecting, but had no ready answer for. As he quickly thought of an explanation, Otto's sudden exclamation resounded throughout the cave, "Whoa! What is _that_?!"

The other simians looked at the green monkey who stood behind Antauri, pointing at a dark object lying on the ground. Under the intense violet light, they could just make out the bones left uncovered by the black material.

Four pairs of eyes widened, and four cybernetic simians stepped away from it. "What _is_ that?!" Gibson repeated.

"_That would be a skeleton…Mine to be exact._"

The four monkeys jumped as the voice echoed around them. "Uh…who was that?" the red monkey wondered.

Antauri sighed, turning slightly to look at the skeleton behind him. "I didn't expect to have to explain all of this so soon."

"_Nor did I. However, now seems to be as good a time as any._"

The silver monkey nodded, turning back to the bewildered Monkey Team. Taking the jade pendant in his hand, he removed it from his neck and held it up. A column of pale blue light shot from the jewel, countering the violet glow and repelling it away from them. Soon, the image of a hooded man appeared in the shining column; his features were concealed by his cloak, but the simians felt a strange warmth looking over them.

"_Greetings, Monkey Team_," the figure said, extending a hand towards them. "_My name is Manjit. Though you may not know much about me, I am quite certain you have heard of me._"

"Uh…" Otto scratched the top of his helmet as he tried to recall. "I don't think so…"

"_I believe Kalli has mentioned me to you, although her account of me is most likely grossly fabricated._"

Gibson's eyes darted from the cloaked skeleton on the ground to the glowing jade crystal. He quickly studied the projected figure, trying to determine the connection to the young sorceress while attempting to understand why it all seemed so familiar. Something about the occurrence seemed…mystical.

"Magic…" he whispered. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Then…_you_ must be the sorcerer who taught Kalli her magic! _You _were the one who sealed her away!"

The other simians turned to look at the projection, eyes wide at the scientist's accusation. The figure looked away from them and seemed to sigh. "_Yes_…" he said, "_that was indeed my doing_…"

"Please try to understand," Antauri said suddenly. "The story that Kalli gave us is not what truly happened." He glanced around at the others, noticing their doubtful expressions. "Please…just _listen _to what he has to say."

The four monkeys looked at each other, exchanging uncertain yet curious glances. They remembered the story Kalli had told them before; the story of the sorcerer who arrived on Verdane, looking for someone to pass his magic to…the sorcerer who took Kalli away from her people, and then attacked her village and locked her away in the orb. What else was there possibly left to say?

But then they glimpsed at Antauri, whose cobalt eyes were imploring them to give the sorcerer a chance. Hesitantly, Nova finally answered for them all, "Okay…"

The sorcerer nodded. "_Thank you. You see, the very beginning of Kalli's story is true. I did come to Verdane because I felt a powerful skill for magic, and I had intended to pass my knowledge on to her. I was progressing in years, and I wished to find an heir who would learn my magic and continue to expand mystical wisdom throughout the universe. I did ask her parents for the opportunity to train her, and I did bring her here in order to_ _teach her. But that is where the similarities to our stories end. Kalli was actually a very talented pupil. She learned my teachings quickly, and she seemed to enjoy studying magic_.

"_However, the more magic she acquired, the greedier she became. After finishing one lesson, she demanded that I begin showing her the next one. She began to develop a type of arrogance when using her new abilities, and she had every intention of flaunting to the villagers. That was not the reason I began teaching her, and I could not continue showing her my magic if she planned on using it for selfish reasons. I informed her of this and gave her the choice to either mend her ways or permanently terminate her lessons. I then left Verdane to give her some time to decide while searching for another heir. I returned after 20 days on Verdane had passed, hoping that Kalli had changed. And she had…but not in the manner I wished._

"_Verdane…was not the same place it was when I left. Kalli…destroyed everything_."

"No way…!" Otto breathed. "Kalli wouldn't do that!"

Manjit shook his head. "_Unfortunately, it is the truth. She had decimated the forest. The terrain where grass and flowers once grew had nothing left but scorch marks. Her village lay in ruins, and her people…_" The sorcerer paused for a moment, as though trying to determine the right words to say. Hesitantly, he continued, "_Her people…had no hope._"

"What does _that_ mean?" Sprx asked, his harsh tone disguising his alarm.

The sorcerer sighed. "_As you can imagine…Kalli was not happy when I gave her my ultimatum. I sensed her anger, but I was certain that everything would turn out all right. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In her rage, Kalli somehow managed to…expand her magical potential. She exercised what she learned from me…and manipulated it to her own advantage. Without my ever showing her how, Kalli learned an amateur, but effective way to control sentient beings…_

"_By manipulating the part of the brain that processes reason, Kalli discovered a way to influence someone's thought to benefit her. By controlling them, she used her people and absorbed their energy…their life force…in order to increase her own power. This left her people as empty shells…puppets for her to exploit. She had ruined her world to enhance her magical force…and she wanted my magic to do the same throughout the galaxies._

"_I knew it was my responsibility to stop her. However, because of her tremendous magical upsurge, defeating her was surprisingly difficult. In my advanced age, using the magic necessary to overcome her was strenuous. As I tired, her fury and pride only served to energize her. She wounded me…severely…and I had no choice but to perform my most desperate spell._

"_The spell allowed me to separate Kalli from her magic and seal both of them away in the violet orb placed on the altar. They were sealed in separate chambers so that she could never access her powers without tremendous help. However, powerful enchantments such as that require tremendous sacrifice. In order to perform this, I was required to separate and seal away something of myself…I was forced to separate and seal away half of my own soul…_"

Nova gasped, her pink eyes darting to the jade pendant in Antauri's hands. "How…how do you separate a soul?"

Manjit shook his head. "_It is actually quite possible. Though normally only a portion of the soul is separated instead of an entire half, and often it occurs without notice._"

Antauri felt the sorcerer's eyes focus on him at this statement, but the silver monkey said nothing and glanced away.

Turning back to the rest of the Monkey Team, the sorcerer continued, "_However, splitting my soul apart was a condition of the spell, and I had no other option. It was a painful process…and with half of my soul sealed in the amulet, it was too demanding for my aged body to continue._"

"So…is that why…?" Otto asked, glancing at the clothed skeleton.

"_In a way_…" Manjit replied. "_Since I still maintained my magical abilities, I thought I could use it a final time before I moved on. So I used my magic to heal the planet of what Kalli had done. I restored the foliage and the animals returned on their own…Verdane would never be the same as it was before Kalli's wrath, but I tried at least to help conceal the scars._

"_After expending the rest of my powers restoring this planet, my body expired here, and Kalli and I have remained here until Chiro and Antauri, respectively, found us._"

Frowning a little, the golden monkey then looked at Antauri. "When _did_ you find him here, Antauri?" she wondered.

Antauri and Manjit exchanged hesitant glances. "I…had only met Manjit earlier after I left the campsite," the silver monkey replied.

"But when did you _find_ him?" Nova repeated. Pointing to the skeleton, she added, "I don't remember seeing _that_ when we were here the last time, after Chiro freed Kalli from the orb."

"That…is a good point," Gibson remarked. "None of us have been here since that time, and Chiro and Kalli never mentioned returning here either. If they _had_ returned, and they explored around this cave further, they would have found Manjit's body. Since they did not, we can assume they haven't been here since that time either. But Manjit would be hard to discover without returning at least one other time."

Nova looked at the silver monkey. "You didn't just find Manjit today…did you?"

Antauri sighed, looking up at the sorcerer, who simply nodded. "I… came across Manjit's body shortly after our arrival on Verdane," he finally said. "After Chiro had sent us to search the planet for traces of Kalli's people, I was returning to the landing site when I briefly stopped here. That's when I located his remains."

"But…you told us that day that you didn't find anything," Otto said softly.

The second-in-command nodded slightly, turning away.

"So you lied to us," the golden monkey stated, her tone dripping with accusation.

"Unfortunately…I did."

"_Please_ _do not blame him,_" Manjit interjected. "_It was I who asked Antauri not to reveal my presence here to anyone._"

"Well, that's a _perfect _reason to trust you," Sprx retorted.

"Please try to understand," the silver monkey pleaded. "Kalli is _plotting_ something, and we couldn't risk her discovering Manjit and the amulet because he is the only one who knows how to stop her. If you had known, Chiro would have also found out, and then Kalli soon after."

"But how do we know we can trust _him_?" Gibson wondered. "It seems to be her word against his. And Chiro appears to be correct in his assumption that you dislike Kalli to begin with. How do we know that isn't just affecting your judgment now?"

"Besides," Nova added, looking at the robotic simian, "he asked you to _lie_ to us…And you did. How can we believe either one of you that way?"

Antauri winced a little. Everything he feared was coming to pass. He could already sense their doubt, and they were beginning to share in Chiro's negative view of him. If he didn't regain their trust soon, they would return to the Super Robot believing that he was wrong to do the things he did, and they would tell Chiro and Kalli about Manjit, which would put them all in peril.

There had to be a way to help them see…to make them believe him, as they used to. But seeing the blame and disappointment in their eyes, he couldn't think of any way.

Suddenly, Ring, who had been quiet almost the entire time, began to chirp softly. Flapping her wings, she hopped off Otto's shoulder and fluttered to the ground. When she landed, she hopped up to the silver monkey, flapping her wings and chirping happily. Then she turned to the green monkey and chirped again before sitting on Antauri's foot.

Watching her curiously, Otto's ebony eyes suddenly lit up. Looking up at the sorcerer, he said, "Hey, um…Mr. Magic Guy? You said Kalli can control things, right?"

Manjit, as well as everyone in the cave, looked towards the mechanic. "_I mentioned she could control sentient beings, yes._"

"Can she control things like Ring?"

Gibson sighed. "'Sentient beings' means those who are able to reason," he replied. "Ring is too primitive to accomplish cognitive functions like that."

"_Kalli's abilities only allows her to control those who reason_," Manjit continued, "_because she is able to warp the process of reasoning into something more suited for her. And with most of her magic sealed away in the orb, her ability to control anyone now is limited. Controlling something such as…Ring…is something she cannot do._"

"Why are you asking this?" the chief of science wondered.

With a grin, Otto turned towards the others. "Guys…" he said, "we _gotta _believe Antauri."

Even the silver monkey was surprised by this statement. "What do you mean, Otto?" Nova asked.

"Remember a few days ago?" the mechanic prompted. "When I asked Kalli to watch over Ring so I could get some food for her?"

"I remember Ring screaming…" Sprx muttered.

"That's just it though!" Otto said, turning back to Antauri. "_That_ had to be why Ring was crying that day! Since Kalli can't control Ring, Ring musta sensed Kalli's inner evil! She doesn't like Kalli at all!"

"That doesn't mean anything," Gibson replied. "Kalli just doesn't spend a lot of time with Ring, that's all."

"Neither does Antauri," Otto said, beaming at the silver monkey. "But Ring likes him anyway."

Antauri granted the mechanic a thankful smile. The other's unconditional support was just what he needed. He could sense the others debating, wondering…hoping that what Otto said was true. But there was still some hesitancy to accept it. There was still….something preventing them from listening.

_My friend, I believe I understand the problem_…

Glancing at the sorcerer, the silver monkey nodded slightly. He already knew what needed to be done. Carefully taking Ring into his free hand, he stepped closer to the rest of the Monkey Team. Holding the jade pendant out to them, he said, "I believe things will seem much clearer…after you place your hands on the amulet…"

The four monkeys glanced at each other curiously, but Otto was the first to step forward. Reaching out, he carefully placed his hand on the jewel; the column of light and the projection of the sorcerer did not fade, continuing to glow over his hand. Reluctantly, Nova drew closer as well, imitating the mechanic and placing her hand on the jewel. Finally Gibson and Sprx followed the others, placing their hands under the light.

The glow of the blue light shone brighter, spreading out and surrounding the four simians. They felt a soothing warmth filling them, spreading throughout their entire bodies. But even as they reveled in the wonderful feeling, they shuddered.

Because they finally realized just how cold they used to be.

The light from the gem faded from around them, returning to the pendant. As they withdrew their hands, the four of the monkeys fell to their knees, shivering as they felt the frozen air all through the cave. Wrapping her arms around her body, Nova looked up at the sorcerer. "What…what did you do?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"_I merely reawakened your senses_," Manjit replied. "_You see, when magic is separated from the wielder, it acquires a certain characteristic that the wielder is known for. In this case, Kalli's magic has taken on her frozen callousness towards those around her. But because she was able to manipulate your minds, because she forced you to think and act in certain ways, you could not feel what was so obvious around you. Essentially, she had numbed you all to her true presence. I used my magic to negate her influence…and now you can understand the type of pain that Antauri has been suffering through all this time._"

Gibson looked up at the silver monkey, trying to calm himself but found he was unable to do so. "Is this…is this really what it was like for you?" he asked. "All those times…you collapsed…Was it anything like this?"

Antauri sighed softly. "Yes," he replied. "It always felt as though a bitter coldness was piercing through my soul. Were it not for Manjit's magic, I would not be as well as I am now."

"_Yet as you said yourself, Antauri, my magic can only provide you a temporary solution. What you struggle with is far worse than I can heal._"

As Ring hopped down and fluttered to land on his tail, Otto looked at the other curiously. "Were you really that affected by Kalli's magic?"

"_Not exactly_," the sorcerer said. "_Truthfully, Antauri was the only one free of Kalli's influence._"

Slowly, Sprx managed to stand, yet continued to tremble under the cold air around them. "How does that work?" he asked.

"_Simple. Kalli has never encountered technology until your arrival._"

Four pairs of eyes widened slightly, turning to look at the silver monkey who looked away.

"So…" Otto said slowly, "Kalli didn't do anything to Antauri…'cuz he's a robot?"

"_Exactly. Kalli could not influence Antauri as she could with all of you because she was unfamiliar with industrial science, since her people had no use for anything like it._"

"Hold up," the red monkey said. Turning to Gibson, he asked, "Aren't our brains computerized?"

The chief of science frowned thoughtfully. "Well…" he replied, "it is true that our ability to reason derives from our mechanized minds…However, it is still connected to our organic brains that could affect the interpretation of our rational processes. If Kalli's magic could manipulate those biological functions, then it would be possible to affect us."

"_That is correct. However, since Antauri no longer possesses an organic body, Kalli could not control him_."

"I don't get it," Nova said. "If Antauri wasn't affected by Kalli's magic, then why was he always hurt by it?"

"_Because Kalli's intended target has always been the boy._"

The four monkeys exchanged horrified expressions. "Chiro…?!"

"_Indeed_," Manjit said. "_While Kalli manipulated all of you, it was only a minor hold so that none of you would suspect her true motives. But all this time, it was the boy who she was after. His energy is exactly what she needed in order to free herself, and it is his energy that she will use to unlock her magic from the orb. For her to do that, however, she must corrupt him so that his energy will be compatible with hers. When that is completed, she will absorb him entirely and become powerful enough to release her powers. But at her initial level of strength, the corruption process was slow and took several days._"

"And every time Chiro's energy was being altered, Antauri was the one who took the damage," Gibson finished as understanding hit him.

"_Exactly. And as she continues to transform him, her strength increases as well. It will not be long before the process is complete, and she ultimately consumes him._"

"But…what's gonna happen to Chiro?" Otto wondered.

The sorcerer hesitated, glancing back at the Antauri. But the silver monkey refused to face anyone. Turning back to the others, he said, "_If nothing is done to help your friend soon…then he will be lost forever…_"

In that one moment, as a heavy silence fell over them, the cave suddenly felt much colder.

"_What…Kalli is doing to your friend_," Manjit reluctantly continued, "_is exactly what she did with her people. She manipulated them and corrupted them so that she could absorb them. That is how she…killed them._"

"What…What are we gonna do?" Otto asked, turning to all the others.

Clenching his fist, Antauri finally looked up. "We're going to do whatever it takes to help him," he replied.

Everyone, even the sorcerer, looked at the silver monkey. "And how are we supposed to do that?" Sprx wondered.

"Chiro has grown quite fond of Kalli," Gibson added. "I don't think he'll appreciate if we accused her of using him. After all…he didn't react very well when _you_ tried to help him."

"If we just tell him," Nova continued, "he won't believe us. Especially if Kalli's changed him as much as you say she has. No matter what we do, he's not going to listen to us."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, the second-in-command then said in a low tone, "Perhaps Chiro will not listen to us…by _conventional_ means."

Glancing at each other curiously, the four then looked up at Manjit. But he seemed just as unsure as they were. "What are you thinking?" Sprx asked.

"I…have a plan," Antauri said hesitantly. "It may be quite dangerous, however, and I can't guarantee that everything will fall into place correctly. Still, we must do everything in our power to ensure Chiro's safety."

Glancing at the others, Nova then grinned and turned to Antauri. "So what do we have to do?" she asked.

Antauri looked towards the others, smiling as they waited for his instructions. Then turning serious, he said, "This will be difficult, but I believe if everything goes well, this should help Chiro. Now listen carefully…"

_TBC_


	11. Chapter 11

All right! An update that didn't take five or so months! I am on a _roll!_ WHOO!

Admittedly, this chapter isn't very exciting. I'm not sure how well it turned out, either. This chapter really doesn't do much except kind of prepare for the next chapter. Now _that _one is the one I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to write that one.

But for now, we all will have to contend with this one. I hope people read this chapter anyway, if only to prepare for the next chapter (which I hope will be awesome!).

Well, enough out of me. Enjoy!

* * *

_"This will be difficult, but I believe if everything goes well, this should help Chiro. Now listen carefully…" The silver monkey turned towards Gibson. "As soon as possible, I need you to take Chiro's attention away from Kalli. They need to be separated temporarily for everything to progress correctly."_

_"All right…" the scientist said slowly._

_"If you need to," Antauri continued, "then tell Chiro that you made some modifications to the Robot's alarm system…"_

_---_

Chiro couldn't help but laugh as Kalli clung onto him tightly. "It's okay," he said, trying to hide his amused smile, "we're here now."

"It's so weird, though!' she said as they stepped out of the orange-lined tube and into the command center where the Monkey Team was. "How do you travel around that way?"

The teen leader shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I'm just used to it."

"Chiro," Gibson suddenly said. "May I talk to you for a moment?"

Looking over at the blue monkey, the boy then glanced at the sorceress, who urged him on with a smile. Gently squeezing her hand, he turned and headed towards the computer consol. "What's up, Gibson?" he asked.

"Well," the scientist said, typing in a few commands on the consol, "since Antauri is no longer allowed near the Super Robot, I made some adjustments to our systems. The alarms should now alert us if he ever infiltrates the Robot."

Chiro looked at the other in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. You made it perfectly clear that he was not to return, so I thought this would help fulfill your orders."

The teen ran his fingers through his dark hair. He thought it would be a lot harder for the others to accept his decision to send Antauri away. "Wow…Yeah, that actually really does help. Thanks, Gibson."

Glancing at the boy, Gibson smiled a little. "Well, I do what I can to assist…"

---

_Turning towards Otto, the silver monkey then said, "While Gibson is keeping Chiro occupied, I need you to tend to Kalli."_

_"Okay," the mechanic replied. "Uh…what should I do?"_

_"Whatever it takes," Antauri said, "you need to give her a reason to return to my room."_

_"Huh? How come?"_

_"It is essential for her and Chiro to be apart so the proper consequences will fall into place. Do whatever you can to ensure she returns to my room."_

_Glancing down at the baby mong bird in his hands, the mechanic nodded. "I'm sure I'll think of something."_

_Returning the nod, Antauri turned to Sprx. "Chiro _must not_ go with her, at all costs. If he does, he will not leave her side. So when Kalli is going, you must be the one to take her back instead."_

_"Uh…okay…" the red monkey said. "I think I can do that."_

_"Just remember that no matter what, Chiro mustn't go with her."_

_---_

As Gibson was showing Chiro the new alterations to the Super Robot's computer, Kalli stood back and watched them, playing with her hands behind her back. Movement off to the side, however, caught her attention, and she turned to see Otto kneeling by the wall and pulling out several wires.

"What are you doing, Otto?" she asked curiously.

"Jus' fixin' the Super Robot," the mechanic replied, looking at her with a grin. "We kinda really messed it up when we were looking for Ring, and we haven't really fixed it all yet."

"Ah…" The sorceress nodded. As she continued to watch the green monkey, though, she frowned and glanced around. "Where did Ring go?"

"She's right…Oh…" Otto's voice trailed off as a quick glance to his side revealed nothing but tools. "Uh…she _was _right here…"

"Don't tell me you lost her _again_!" Sprx said suddenly as he and Nova approached from the transport tubes.

"She was just right here!" the green monkey said, looking under a coil of wires and moving around some tools.

A soft chirp drew all their attention, and they looked to see Ring standing in the open panel Otto was working in earlier. Hopping up and down, the chick flapped her wings and tugged at the cord she held in her beak.

Otto sighed loudly, placing a hand to his chest. "Boy, you really scared me!" he said with a grin.

"You really should be more careful with her," Kalli chided. "She's pretty curious and seems to get into everything."

"Yeah, I know," the green monkey replied, picking up another tool. "C'mon, Ring. You gotta get outta there now."

Blinking at him for a moment, the mong bird flapped her wings again and tugged harder at the cord. Hopping down, she continued to pull at the wire.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Otto asked as he watched the chick curiously. "C'mon, don't do that…"

Suddenly, the baby bird fell back as the cord snapped in two. The cable still attached to the wall began spraying out oil, showering the sorceress in the cold, black grease and causing her to scream. Otto and Nova both lunged for the cord, pinning it to the floor as more oil spurted out and covered the girl in the thick liquid. The line struggled beneath them for a moment, but when the oil finally trailed off the wire finally gave up.

By this time, Chiro and Gibson rushed over to see what the commotion was about. "What happened?" the blue monkey asked, looking at the oil spilled across the floor.

"Uh…nothin'…" Otto said with as much innocence as he could muster.

"Ring got hold of one of the cables," the golden monkey said as she got to her feet. "Do I really need to explain the rest?"

Chiro turned to Kalli, who was trying to wring the oil from her dress. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"I think so," she replied, vainly looking for a dry spot on her dress to wipe her hands. "But I'd be better if I wasn't covered in this stuff…I should go get cleaned up."

"Here," the boy said, holding out his hand, "I'll take you back to the room."

"I can take her," Sprx suddenly offered. "I mean, you might be needed down here, Kid. I'll take her back up and help her get cleaned up, okay?"

Frowning curiously, the young leader glanced at Kalli, who simply shrugged. "Well…okay, I guess," he finally replied. Turning to the girl, he added, "But if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

The sorceress nodded. "Sure." Then, turning to the red monkey, she smiled a little as she followed him to the transport tubes. "Thanks, Sprx."

"No problem," he replied. With a quick glance at Nova, he and the girl soon disappeared through the tubes.

---

_"Nova," Antauri said, turning to the golden monkey, "this next part is very important." Gently taking her hand, he carefully placed the jade pendant in her palm. "After Sprx takes Kalli back to my room, you must give this to Chiro."_

_Looking at the crystal, she then looked up at the other. "Is that a good idea?" she wondered. "I thought Kalli shouldn't know about this or Manjit."_

_The second-in-command nodded. "That is true. And she won't. Give this to Chiro and tell him that you found it, and you believe that it belongs to Kalli's people. That way, he'll be more inclined to keep it with him."_

_"But what's going to stop Chiro from showing it to Kalli later?"_

_Antauri placed a hand to his chest. "That…will be my responsibility…"_

---

"Ugh, honestly, Otto!" Gibson reprimanded. "As if we didn't have enough to do around here already!"

The green monkey grinned sheepishly, placing Ring on top of his helmet. "Sorry…" he said.

The scientist shook his head and sighed. "Well, we better get all this cleaned up…"

Just as Chiro was kneeling down to help, he stopped when he felt Nova's hand on his arm. "Hey, Chiro?" he heard her say.

"Yeah, Nova?"

"I need to talk to you for a minute…" Glancing at the other two monkeys, she then motioned for the boy to follow her away from them. He trailed behind her curiously, wondering why she seemed so secretive.

"You okay, Nova?" he wondered as they stood by the computer consol.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the golden monkey replied, running a hand over her helmet. "I just thought you might want to see this…" From behind her back, she pulled out a jade crystal and held it out to the young leader.

Chiro's eyes widened as he carefully took the jewel from her. "What…where did you get this?"

"Sprx and I found it when we were looking around earlier. We thought it might have come from Kalli's people."

Chiro held it up to the light, examining the smoothened edges and the cord that hung from the gem. "It's definitely not naturally made," he mused, holding the string and watching the light reflect off the crystal. "I'll show it to Kalli and ask her about it." Looking at the golden monkey, he smiled a little. "Thanks, Nova."

She returned the smile and nodded. "Sure thing, Chiro."

The teen stared at jewel as he held it in his hand once again. He meant to put it in his pocket, but he found he couldn't stop looking at it. There was just something about it that felt…strange. Maybe Kalli would know…

He snapped out of his musings when the alarm suddenly blared around them, bathing the command center in crimson light. Startled, the teen looked up and frowned, confused for a moment as he tried to figure out why the alarm would sound. But with a glance at Gibson, his eyes widened with remembrance.

"Antauri…" he murmured.

Stuffing the crystal into his pocket, he bolted for the transportation tubes. He had a feeling he knew _exactly_ where the silver monkey was trying to go.

---

_"While you're giving Chiro the amulet," Antauri explained, "I will confront Kalli. The timer that Gibson set for the alarm should give me enough time for me to speak with her before Chiro's arrival…"_

_---_

Kalli sat on one of the stones that decorated the second-in-command's room, wringing the excess oil out of her hair and letting it drip into the running water around her. With a sigh, she ran a glowing hand through her hair, and the oil seemed to disappear. With a smirk, she cleaned the grease from her clothes in the same manner, but left the black mess all across the floor.

Crossing her legs as she continued fixing her hair, she said in a soft voice, "I thought Chiro told you to never come back…"

Though the violet energy around his body returned to silver, Antauri's violet claws remained. "I couldn't leave yet," he answered coldly as he approached her. "Not knowing the danger you've put Chiro in."

With a chuckle, the sorceress stood and faced him, holding her hands behind her back. "Why, Antauri," she said, no longer concealing her feigned innocence, "I have no idea what you're talking about. You know I'd _never _do anything to hurt dear, sweet Chiro."

Floating up to her eye level, the robotic simian held up his sharp claws towards her. "I know you're up to something," he said. "And you can't hide it forever."

The sorceress smirked, meeting his cobalt glare with golden mischief. "And what are you going to do, Antauri?" she taunted, flipping back her ebony hair. "You think you can _save_ him? He doesn't even _want _your help. Not when he has _me_ around."

"That will change when he discovers the _true _you," Antauri replied.

The silver monkey started when Kalli suddenly grabbed both his wrists, holding up his violet claws. "Please," she retorted, her amusement fading into a hardened glower. "You think I haven't realized that you somehow managed to free the other monkeys from my control? You think I don't know what you're up to?" She laughed. "Do you honestly believe that Chiro will finally believe you if you come here and get me to reveal all my plans just as he coincidentally enters the room? I don't think so…"

Suddenly the sound of the alarm screamed above them, and the warning light flashed overhead. Glancing up at the light, Kalli then sneered at the silver monkey. "Time's up, Antauri," she whispered. "You lose…"

---

_"_My friend,_" Manjit suddenly spoke up, "_if you mean to expose Kalli's true objectives so that Chiro might overhear, then I believe your plan is critically flawed. Kalli is extremely clever, and considerably perceptive. She will not fall for such a deception, no matter how convincing you appear._"_

_"I had a feeling that was the case," Antauri replied, glancing at the sorcerer. "That is why I do not expect Kalli to tell me anything."_

_"_Oh? Then what are your intentions?_"_

_"As long as Kalli _believes _that my aim is to uncover her goals to Chiro, then this plan should work. Because it is important for Chiro to become exceptionally angry with me…"_

_---_

The door behind Kalli buzzed open, and the girl smirked at the silver monkey. Pulling his violet claws down, she shrieked, "Let me go! You're hurting me!"

"Kalli!" Chiro exclaimed.

She turned towards him as tears filled her golden eyes. "Chiro, help me!"

With a growl, the teen lunged at the robotic simian. "Let her go!"

Wrenching himself free from the sorceress's hold, Antauri barely dodged the teen leader's attack. The violet energy spread over his silver body, and he disappeared through the walls of the Robot.

"Oh no…" Chiro seethed, clenching his fists. "You're not getting away _this _time, Antauri." He dashed for the door, Kalli following closely behind him.

---

_"Why would you want Chiro mad at ya?" Otto wondered as he scratched the back of his head._

_"At this point, Chiro is too distracted by Kalli's power," Antauri said. "He will not listen to anything I say. However, if he is angry with me, I can perhaps get him to focus enough on me to show him exactly what's happening to him."_

_"I don't understand," Gibson said. "How can you show him what's happening if he's angry with you?"_

_With a sigh, the silver monkey shook his head. "It's difficult to explain. But it is my responsibility, so leave it to me. Now, this next part will be a little challenging. Since Chiro believes you all are still siding with him, we will have to fight in order to keep him convinced."_

_"Fight?" Nova repeated. "You want us to fight you?"_

_Antauri nodded. "We will have to do our best to appear realistic if Chiro is to believe us. I suppose it could be similar to a session of training, but Chiro must not know what is happening. If everything goes well, then we might get Chiro angry enough…"_

_---_

Passing through the Robot's walls, Antauri dove out of the machinder and landed on the hill, rolling down until he hit the grassy base. Getting to his feet, he reverted back to his silver body though his claws remained violet. He glanced around and was about to leave when a familiar cry froze him in his tracks.

"MAGNO-BALL BLAZER!"

Antauri jumped into the air and barely avoided the sphere of magnetic energy. Then he was forced to twist back to dodge the green energy saws aimed for his head. Pushing down the saws with his violet claws, he kicked Otto back and landed a short distance away from the rest of the Monkey Team.

The five monkeys stood silently, waiting for someone else to make the first move. Glancing up at the Super Robot, the silver simian took a small step back, which triggered Nova to charge towards him, golden fists raised and prepared to attack. Pushing away one of her fists with his claw, Antauri used his free claw to knock her back and send her crashing into Sprx.

Aiming his blue tipped drills, Gibson fired a laser at the silver monkey. Antauri quickly dodged and threw two crescent blades at them, but Otto blocked them with his energy saws. Then, as the saws began to spin, the green monkey touched the saws together and shot out a destructive beam.

Antauri flipped back to avoid the beam, but wasn't able to escape the barrage of magnetic bullets that immediately followed. Trying to protect himself from the shots, he wasn't prepared as the golden fists sailed at him and knocked him out of the air. With a grunt he hit the ground, sliding across the grass and leaving a trail of dirt behind him.

Pushing himself up, the silver monkey saw from the corner of his eye as the other four were all charging towards him for an attack. Closing his eyes briefly, he then turned towards them.

"MONKEY MIND SCREAM!"

Sliding down the hill, Chiro's eyes widened as he watched the violet waves throw his friends back. Clenching his fists, he jumped towards the silver monkey.

"THUNDER PUNCH!"

Antauri rolled out of the way, jumping up and landing on the other side of the river. Turning slightly, he met the teen's glare with a concerned gaze.

"So, you wanna fight, Antauri?" Chiro asked, holding up a hand. "Okay then. Let's go."

Staring at the teen, the silver monkey gritted his teeth before turning away, lowering his violet claws as they transformed back into silver hands.

"So that's it?" Chiro wondered, his sapphire eyes darkening as he watched his mentor. "You're just gonna give up? Just like that? You're not even gonna _try _to fight me?"

Cobalt eyes glanced at him, but the robotic primate remained silent. For some reason, that just made Chiro's blood boil. Jumping up, he landed hard right in front of the simian and delivered a powerful axe kick. The unexpected force of the blow caused the sterling body to hit the ground and bounce back up, giving the teen a perfect opportunity for a roundhouse kick that sent Antauri flying back towards the hill.

"C'mon, Antauri," the teen said, slowly walking to where the other landed. "I know you can do better than this. When we were training, you never had a problem fighting me. You were always forcing me to do more…pushing me because I was never good enough…So why won't you fight me now? Is it because you think I'm _still _not good enough? You think I'm not _worth_ your time?"

Just as the silver monkey began to rise, Chiro fired a black-green beam from his hand and sent Antauri to the ground once again. Reaching the silver monkey, the teen rested one foot on the other's head and pushed him harder into the ground.

"Y'know, I'm really sick of you, Antauri," Chiro spat, grinding his heal into the simian's head. "Kalli was right about you all along. And to think I risked so much to bring you back into _that _body…"

Glancing up, the young leader watched as Kalli was helping the rest of the Monkey Team. It was then that the idea crossed his mind, and he smirked a little as he looked back down at his mentor.

"Since _I'm_ the one who brought you back," he said thoughtfully, "then maybe I can get rid of you the same way…"

Taking a step back, Chiro reached down and grabbed Antauri by the neck. Holding up the silver monkey, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the Power Primate, feeling the energy around him pull and gather toward his heart. His body began to glow with the dark green light, spreading over him and encasing Antauri as well.

Suddenly the green glow faded into black electricity that snapped and cackled around them. A dark bolt struck both of them in the forehead; both of their eyes snapped open as a shared cry passed through their lips. Then a beam of white light shot out from cobalt eyes into sapphire, causing Chiro to scream louder.

The black electricity struck at the white beam, and the two energies mingled and exploded into a sphere of blinding light that engulfed them both.

---

_"_Antauri_," Manjit said, "_if you are planning what I believe you are, then you must realize how dangerous this truly is_."_

_"There is no other way," the silver monkey replied with a small shake of his head. "This is all I can do to get Chiro to listen to me. This is the only way to help him."_

_"_But you realize the risk you are taking?_"_

_Antauri nodded. "I'm aware of it. But as we said, we must do everything we can to help Chiro."_

_The four other monkeys glanced at each other, exchanging the anxious expressions that crossed their features. Antauri's tone just sounded so definite, so…final…that they couldn't help but worry._

_"Antauri?" Nova said softly. "Just what are you planning to do?"_

_Looking at them, the silver monkey offered a small smile. "Nothing that you all need to worry about," he replied. "This is solely my responsibility, and so I am the only one who needs to be concerned with it."_

_"Is it really safe?" Gibson wondered._

_"The only risk is on my part. What I plan to do _is _dangerous, but I will be the only one in any real jeopardy."_

_"Are you…gonna be okay then?" Otto asked, barely able to get the question out._

_Looking at the green monkey, Antauri smiled and placed a gentle hand on the other's shoulder. "Everything will turn out fine," he stated. "I can promise you that."_

_"_Do not be so quick to make promises you cannot keep_," Manjit advised._

_Antauri shook his head. "No. I know everything will be all right."_

_"Maybe you should tell us what you're doing anyway," Sprx said. "Just so we know what's going on."_

_Looking at him, the silver monkey nodded. "Very well," he said, trying to find the right words to explain. "Chiro needs to see everything that is happening to him. So I must take him to the only place where I can show him that…"_

_TBC_


	12. Chapter 12

Happy Halloween! I thought I'd give you all a little treat tonight, so here's the next chapter to the story!

I didn't really plan it, but in a way this chapter kind of fits with the spirit of Halloween. It's not scary, but it's definitely supernatural. Things may turn into horror, though, when people get to the end of it and want to kill me...eheheheh...

I have to admit, this chapter didn't exactly turn out how I planned when I first started writing it. But I still like how it is, so I didn't change too much of it. Hopefully you all think it's okay too.

Anyway, that's enough out of me. I leave you all to read, and I return to watching cheesy Halloween movies on television. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween (again)!

* * *

His head was pounding as he found himself slowly drifting back into consciousness. The feeling that spread throughout his body bordered on the line of numb nothingness and sharp pain. A heavy weight rested on his chest, and he found that he didn't want to move…but knew he had to.

Slowly Chiro opened his eyes, watching as his surroundings blurred and refocused. Blinking rapidly, he found himself staring up into gray emptiness, streamed with white light and black shadows floating above him. Glancing around, he noticed that the area was not much different; grayness infinitely stretched on, interrupted only by the pieces of white and black. As he carefully got to his feet, a strange feeling surrounded him, nearly suffocating him. Yet somehow, he was aware that in this place, he did not need to breathe.

"Where am I?" he wondered, his whispered question echoing in the hollow space.

"In a place where we can talk, uninterrupted…"

Chiro stiffened as the familiar voice reached his ears. A mix of anger and relief flooded through him, and he wasn't sure how he should react to the other being there as well. Forcing himself to calm down, he slowly turned around.

The lights and shadows continued to flicker around him, forcing him to squint through the grayness. At first he saw nothing except the outstretching background. But soon he spotted movement slowly approaching him, and he could just make out the outline of a robotic monkey. As the other drew closer, however, Chiro's eyes widened when he realized that he was looking into golden-green orbs, sharply standing out against the black fur.

"Antauri?" the boy asked, his voice hoarse with disbelief.

"Yes, Chiro," the black monkey replied softly, standing just a few feet from him. "It is I."

Chiro just couldn't help but stare at the other. "You're…your body…You…how…?" he stammered.

Holding up a cybernetic arm, Antauri motioned to the gray stillness around them. "Here, in this place, an essence takes on the form that depends on how others first encountered them. This," he continued, placing a hand to his own chest, "is how you first met me, and so this is the way you see me now."

Chiro scratched the back of his head. "Oookay…That makes sense, I guess…" He looked around again. "But what exactly _is _this place, anyway?"

"This place is known as the Realm In Between."

The boy looked at Antauri curiously. "The Realm In Between?" he repeated. "Between what?"

Tilting his head upward, the black monkey said, "There are three different regions that encompass this existence: The Physical Plane, where a soul lives in a physical body; the Spirit World, where a soul passes on after death of the physical; and here, the Realm in Between. Rarely do beings ever visit this Realm, which is why not many people know of its reality."

Chiro nodded slightly. It was the first time _he _ever heard of such a place. "So what's this Realm used for anyway?"

"It depends on what level of the Realm you are on."

The teen looked at him. "Level? What level?"

Antauri held up his hands. "Just as the Physical Plane holds many different worlds, and the Spirit World has different heights for the souls who pass on, the Realm In Between holds different levels suited for different purposes. There is the Lower Realm, where lost souls and those not ready to move on remain, for it is closest to the Physical Plane. From there, the lost ones can be seen, and sometimes interact with those in the Physical Plane, but they are never truly part of it. That is where the idea of ghosts and their haunting came from.

"There is also the Higher Realm, where souls go and wait to pass on into the Spirit World. Often, souls pass through the Higher Realm without ever realizing they were there, but occasionally some souls will remain because they are unable to pass on."

"How come?" Chiro wondered.

The black monkey hesitated for a moment, placing a hand to his chest. "Sometimes…" he said slowly, "things happen. Things that no one ever predicted will take place, and a soul is left…incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"Yes. And incomplete souls cannot enter the Spirit World. So they remain in the Higher Realm and wait to be whole again. Either the portion of their soul missing goes to join them in the Higher Realm, or they leave to join their soul wherever it waits for them, most often the Physical Plane."

Chiro glanced around again, taking in the grayness and watching the light mingle with shadows. "But we're not in either one of those levels, are we?"

Antauri shook his head. "No. We are in the Center Realm, where two souls can meet each other for whatever purpose they need to fill. However, to reach the Center Realm is difficult, much more than it is to reach the other Realms. Only souls with a suitable bond can find this place."

"Suitable bond…" Chiro repeated thoughtfully, placing a hand to his own chest. So there was a reason that the two of them were there in that place. A reason that only the two of them could get there. Turning to the other, he asked, "You mean like the Power Primate?"

Antauri hesitated again, turning towards the teen. "No…" he said softly, "and yes…"

A wave of anger passed through Chiro as he sighed loudly. "Why can't you ever just give me a straight answer?" he wondered.

"We will have to talk about this another time," the black monkey said. "Right now, Chiro, there is something important we must discuss."

The teen folded his arms across his chest. "We really don't have anything to _discuss_, Antauri."

"No, Chiro. We really do."

He turned away from the black monkey. "Well, maybe I just don't _want_ to talk to you."

Antauri sighed. "Chiro, you're acting unreasonable."

"Oh, really?" Chiro snapped, turning back to look at the other. "I'm the unreasonable one, huh? I'm _always_ the unreasonable one! Fine then. You're right, I'm wrong, just like always. Happy now?!"

"Chiro," Antauri said sternly, "you _must _stop acting this way…"

"Why should I?!" the teen retorted, throwing down a hand. "Why should I do what _you _say?! Maybe this is just the way I am!"

"No!" Antauri said, catching the other's arm. "This is _not_ you, Chiro!"

Chiro wrenched his arm away from the simian. "There you go again! You always think you know me better than I know myself! Well, you _don't_! You know _nothing _about me! You don't know who I _really _am!"

The black monkey's eyes narrowed, but his concern was clear underneath his stern gaze. "I may not know _everything _about you, Chiro," he said softly, "but I _do_ know you well enough to know that this is not like you. Ever since we arrived on Verdane, you've been behaving in ways you never have before. Disregarding your responsibilities, ignoring the people who are concerned for you…forgetting about your _home_, and abandoning someone _you_ really care about when she's waiting for you, all for a girl you hardly know! Is _that_ the real you, Chiro? Is _that _the way you truly are?"

Chiro clenched his fists and shut his eyes. He felt something pounding deep within him, and part of him knew that Antauri was right…but the rest of him just couldn't admit it. "You're blowing this way out of proportion," he stated, opening his eyes again to look at the primate. "Kalli didn't _do _anything to me."

Antauri folded his arms across his chest. "At this point, I never said she did," he replied.

Chiro winced when he realized that the other was right. Until now, Antauri hadn't accused the sorceress of anything…yet. "You were thinking it, though," he countered. "You never liked Kalli anyway, so you'd probably blame her for everything."

"You're right," Antauri said, "because she's to blame."

"Why?" Chiro demanded. "Why is this her fault?"

"Because of what she's done to you, Chiro."

The teen growled and threw his hands up. "What has she done to me?! What has she done besides _like_ me, and show me the truth about _you_?!"

"She's provided you with nothing but lies," Antauri said. "She's manipulated you to get what _she _wants. She only cares about herself, and she will do _anything _to have her way. It doesn't matter who gets hurt as long as _she _benefits in the end. Don't you see? She's only been _using_ you all this time!"

Chiro covered his ears. "NO! You're lying! I don't believe you!"

"If you won't believe me," the simian continued, his voice clearer than ever, "then look down at yourself and see the damage she's done."

Looking at the black monkey curiously, the teen then looked down at his body. As he did, his eyes widened. Though he could make out the shape of his body, he was completely covered by a thick black shadow that extended down to the gray ground. The only part of him that seemed visible was a small shard of light in his chest, but even that was dulled by the darkness over him.

He lifted his hands and looked at them, watching as the shadow seemed to flow and move. "What…what _is_ this?" he murmured.

"That is Kalli's influence over you," Antauri replied. "She needed to change you in order to suit her purposes, and every time she tampered with your energy, the darkness took over your soul. It was only a matter of time before it entirely consumed you, and you would become one of the lost ones trapped in the Lower Realm."

Lowering his hands, Chiro looked at the black monkey. "You don't know that Kalli is behind this," he said, though he lacked the defensive confidence he had only moments ago.

Still, Antauri stiffened as he watched the shadow grow, spreading over the teen's neck and slowly covering the teen's head. "Chiro, you must listen to me," the simian implored. "There isn't much time. We have to stop Kalli before it's too late."

The shadow continued to crawl up the teen's face, and sapphire eyes suddenly darkened into a sharp glare. "Shut up, Antauri," Chiro hissed in a voice that was not his. "I don't care what you say. Kalli would never do anything to hurt me."

Golden-green eyes widened as the shadow slowly inched its way to the top of the boy's head. "Chiro…!"

The teen growled. "I said _shut up_! I HATE you, Antauri!"

With a roar, the shadow suddenly exploded into a column of darkness, swirling high above the teen before sinking back down into the ground and opening a hole under the boy's feet. A piercing wail echoed throughout the grayness as a cold pressure pulled at him, and Chiro gasped as he felt himself falling into the hole.

"NO! Chiro!"

Then he wasn't falling anymore.

Trembling slightly, Chiro slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the dark void trying to draw him in. The freezing vacuum wind howled around him, trying so hard to pull him down. He swallowed thickly as he could feel the heavy force tugging harshly at his body. The void was painfully strong…so why wasn't he dropping anymore?

He felt something tighten around his hand, and he looked up to see the black monkey at the edge of the hole, trying to pull him back up. His eyes widened, and he tried to be heard above the thunderous winds, "Antauri!"

The simian gritted his teeth, struggling against the vacuum to bring him out of the hole. But it was difficult; holding the teen's hands with both of his own left him with no real support to retain his position. Chiro could feel the other inching closer to the open chasm as the pressure pulled at them harder.

"Antauri!" the teen called again. "What's going on?!"

Antauri grunted, trying to find a way to ground himself. "Kalli's control has finally reached its highest point!" he replied. "It's trying to absorb you, and if you fall into the void, it will transform you so Kalli can control you for however long she wants!"

Clenching his free fist, the boy then aimed his palm down at the void below. "Not if I can help it!" he said. "Monkey…Fu!"

His eyes widened when nothing happened. "What…?!"

"Our powers don't work in this Realm," Antauri said, his voice strained against the roaring winds.

"So what are we supposed to do?!"

They both gasped when Antauri slipped, and they both began to descend deeper into the hole. But the simian freed one hand and grabbed onto the edge of the opening, clutching the teen's hand tighter as they both dangled over the void.

Looking up at the other, the teen winced as he felt the other straining himself, just trying to cling to the edge. "Antauri…" he whispered.

"Hold on!" the simian said, wrapping his tail around the teen's wrist to strengthen his grasp.

Watching the black monkey, Chiro gently tightened his grip. Even as he held the other's metallic hand, he could feel the warmth that sharply contrasted the cold air around him. He shivered a little as he realized just how much he missed that warmth…a warmth that was lost for so long, and yet he never knew it was gone until now.

Memories of the passed week suddenly flooded back to him, reminding him of everything he did and said, everything he thought and felt…and he couldn't ignore the pain that wrenched his heart. Remembering the harsh way he treated Antauri caused his eyes to burn. How could he…? He had accused the other of so many things…things he knew were untrue. He had sent Antauri away, saying that he never wanted to see him again. Then he had attacked Antauri, and even tried to…

He vainly tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He had so many things that he could never forgive himself for…and yet Antauri was still trying to save him. Antauri was still trying to help him, to keep him from falling into the void and becoming a lost soul.

The teen shut his eyes tightly. 'I don't deserve it…' he thought.

Frustrated that it was not receiving anything, the void growled suddenly. The winds thundered around them as the suction increased, pulling at them harder. Chiro's eyes shot open when he felt himself sink a little. Looking up, he could see that Antauri was struggling to hang on. With the heavy vacuum, it was hard to keep oneself from falling into the void. But the black monkey was also helping him, and Chiro could see that the other was beginning to tire. He knew…Antauri couldn't keep this up forever.

"Antauri…!" he called. "Just…just let me go!"

Slowly the black monkey opened his golden-green eyes and looked down at the teen.

"The suction's too powerful!" Chiro said, trying to be heard above the piercing winds. "You can't pull both of us out! If we don't do something soon, we're both gonna fall in! But…" Swallowing hard, the teen had to force out the rest of his words. "But there's no reason for it to get both of us! This…this is all my fault anyway, and it's after me! But you can still get out! You don't have pay for _my _mistake!"

They both gasped when they sank a little farther into the void. "Hurry!" Chiro said. "Just let me go…and save yourself!"

He expected the pain he saw filling the other's golden-green eyes, but he was surprised when he felt Antauri's hand tighten around his. When the simian spoke, his soft tone could be heard even over the booming winds. "Do you still not trust me, Chiro?"

The boy's eyes widened. "What…? Of course I do! I just…"

Antauri shook his head. "No…you don't. Because if you trusted me, then you wouldn't be so quick to assume I'd fail."

Chiro winced slightly as they slid another inch into the void. But though he could feel the other still struggling to hold on, Antauri retained his usual calm.

"I _can_ help you, Chiro," the black monkey said, "but only if you believe I can…and only if you _let_ me. If nothing else…you should know me better than to think I'd _ever_ let you go."

Chiro clenched his teeth. He wanted to yell at the other, but he couldn't find his voice. Why did Antauri have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't the other just save himself before it was too late? Why didn't he just let go so he wouldn't get trapped in the void too?

_Why are you so sure you'll both fall?_

Slowly, Chiro looked up at the other, seeing the resolve in his eyes. He knew he could never change the other's mind, but…could Antauri really get them both out of there? He couldn't see how; the void was continuing to pull them in with an overwhelming force, and he could feel the frozen darkness snapping at his ankles. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be trapped there, and he didn't want to lose the other like that, especially when Antauri didn't deserve it.

But…Antauri had always been there for him before. He had always trusted Antauri to help him when he needed help…and _still _trusted him now.

He needed to get out. More than anything, he wanted Antauri to get him out of that hole!

The two suddenly slipped down further into the void, and Antauri gasped as the darkness began to rise. "Chiro…!"

Feeling the darkness advancing on him, Chiro shut his eyes tightly and allowed tears to stream down his cheeks. "Antauri…HELP ME!"

The words barely left his lips when a dazzling white light shone from their entwined hands, piercing through the darkness around and below them. The radiance spread over them, encasing their entire bodies. The void hissed loudly and shrank back from the brilliance; the winds began to ease around them, but the opening to the hole slowly began to shrink.

Carefully, Antauri pulled Chiro up so the teen could grab onto the edge, and the two quickly pulled themselves out of the chasm. The void continued to disappear until the gap was closed, leaving nothing behind but a small sliver of shadow. It lingered for a moment before fading into the grayness.

The two remained on the ground, resting on their hands and knees, breathing heavily as the light around them slowly faded. For a moment, silence reigned over them as they fought to calm themselves. Finally, Antauri looked up at the teen and asked softly, "Are you all right, Chiro?"

The boy nodded and sat back, wrapping his arms around himself to fight off the lingering chill. "Yeah, I…I think so" he said. "But I thought you said our powers don't work in this Realm…"

The black monkey shook his head, placing a trembling hand to his chest. "They don't," he replied.

Looking at the other, Chiro was about to ask what he meant by that. But his question died on his lips when he noticed the painful expression in the golden-green eyes. "Antauri? Antauri, what's wrong?"

Antauri groaned and opened his eyes. "It seems that act used more of my energy than I thought…"

The teen's eyes widened when Antauri's body began to fade. "What…what's happening to you…?!"

The simian sighed softly, looking at the teen. "While…our souls are here…in the Realm in Between…our bodies remain…on the Physical Plane. Time continues to pass…and you're body continues to draw the Power Primate…from the silver monkey's body…"

Chiro winced a little as that image passed through his mind. "Yeah, but…I was only doing that under Kalli's influence…right?"

"Yes…But the fact remains…it was happening. And unfortunately… without the Power Primate…my soul cannot exist in the silver monkey's body…So I have no choice…but to move on…to the Higher Realm…"

Chiro felt his heart painfully clench in his chest. "Wh-what…? N…N-no! You can't…!"

"I'm afraid…I have no choice…"

Watching as the black monkey continued to disappear, the teen grabbed the other's shoulders. "Antauri, please…! You can't…Don't go!"

Looking up at the boy, the simian offered a small smile. "Do not worry, Chiro. It will be all right."

"How can you say that?!" the teen demanded, tightening his grip. "How can you…? We can't…We can't lose you again, Antauri!"

"And you won't," Antauri reassured, placing a near-transparent hand on the other's shoulder. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

Chiro felt the sting underneath his eyes as the other continued to vanish before him. "How can you be so sure…?" he wondered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Trust me, Chiro," Antauri replied, "just as…I trust you." And just like that, the black monkey was gone.

Choking back a sob, Chiro hung his head and clenched his fists. His shoulders trembled as he shut his eyes tightly, holding back the tears that threatened to consume him.

"What have I done…?" he murmured. "This is all my fault…"

The grayness around him gave no answer, and did nothing to comfort him. Swallowing back his grief, he roughly rubbed his eyes and tried to ignore the burning ache in his chest. Somewhere in his mind, he knew there was something strange about this pain, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

He didn't notice when the pain suddenly eased. But he jumped a little when a voice spoke softly, "Chiro?"

Part of him hoped with everything that it was Antauri. However, as he looked up, he jumped to his feet when he saw the strange man cloaked in black. Wiping at his eyes again, he then held up his hands and prepared to defend himself. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The cloaked figure held up his hands to show he meant no harm. "Please, calm yourself," he said. "My name is Manjit, and I am simply here to help you return to the Physical Plane."

Chiro's eyes narrowed a little, but he warily lowered his hands. "What about Antauri?" he questioned.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing more we can do for him here. It is time we return to the Physical Plane."

The teen shook his head. "No! I'm not leaving him here!"

"We have no choice," Manjit insisted. "We can do nothing here. If we are to help him, then we _must_ go back." Slowly, he held his hand out to the boy. "Now come, young one. We still have much to do back in the Physical Plane."

Staring at the man, Chiro bit his lip thoughtfully. As much as he didn't want to leave the black simian here by himself, there didn't seem to be anything left for him to do. Hesitantly he reached out and took the man's hand. As he did so, the grayness faded as the streaks of white light flashed around them. Suddenly he felt heavier, and he gasped as he and the cloaked man began to fall.

_TBC_


End file.
